My Life on Paper

Welcome to the Blog Hop!

2011-06-20T06:00:00.011-04:00

Welcome to Scrappin’ Sports & More’s first ever blog hop!

It’s the time of year when we are all looking forward to summer, but we want you to think about school for just a little longer! We would like to feature our fabulous new “School is Cool” line and we think you are going to LOVE it! Whether you are scrapping the first day of school, the last day of school, school pictures, or making something fun for teachers, this is the line for you! And, by doing a few quick things, you will be eligible to WIN the entire “School is Cool” line!!

There are THREE ways you can win!

1. Leave a comment on all of the blogs included in the hop (including this one!).
2. Become a follower of our blog. If you are already a follower, then that one’s already done!
3. “Like” our Facebook page and leave us a comment there telling us what you love about our new “School is Cool” line of paper!

You will be entered into the prize drawing once for each of the three possible ways to win. You will have until midnight on June 27th and a winner will be posted on our blog, and on our Facebook page on June 28th. Have fun!

Now on to the really FUN part! Check out each of the projects that our design team has put together for you. Just hop to each blog and don’t forget to leave some lovin’ so that you will be entered to win!

Scrappin’ Sports & More Blog
Kim Holmes
Nicole Wise
Carolyn Lontin
Shannon Blinn
Karen Shand

Thanks so much for playing along! Good luck!
Here is the school mini album I created to showcase the School is Cool line. Love how easily you can mix and match the different grades.

It's been a LONG time....

2010-06-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted on my Own blog. Here are a few layouts that I created over the last several months.

2010-01-18T18:37:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year again. The scrapbooking industries best time of the year, the time when all the fun, new & exciting products are released at the annual CHA-Winter show in Anaheim, CA. Scrappin' Sports & More is excited to be releasing not one, but two new lines!!! It's a busy time for designers everywhere getting their projects ready for the booth. Keep checking back next week as you will see some great new projects from the Design Team using these new products. Okay...here they are....hot off the press today & ready to ship to your store :)

The first line was created by Ronnie McCray and is called On the Edge Sports. This is an amazing new line; I mean who doesn't like those dotted swirls!! Make sure you take a close look at the camping one...how fun is that little camper? And the fishing paper....such a cute little blue fish :) Okay, I'll stop writing and just let you judge for yourselves.

Pretty amazing, don't you think? Well, that's not all. The next line was created by Steve and is called Down on the Farm. This line has so many uses. For those of you involved in 4-H, you will be all set not matter what animals you brought to the fair. Did you ever take pictures of your kids or grandkids feeding the ducks, well we have some paper & stickers for that too. Do you have a couple of furry companions that live in your house like I do? Well, check out the dog & cat papers & stickers. You get the idea, so take a look for yourself.

And here are the stickers that coordinate with the Down on the Farm line.

And last but not least, we have some cardstock sports stickers being released at the show. These coordinate perfectly with the Name of the Game line. There are 3 different sizes on each cardstock sheet.

Sports, Sports, Sports!!

2009-10-19T21:00:00.007-04:00

This past weekend was filled with more sports :) Alex had his final football game, Maddy played in her final soccer game & Victoria had 2 soccer games (the third was postponed). Here a some pictures from the weekend. You can see from Maddy's pictures, Saturday morning was cold!!

Tackle!!!

Two weekends ago, Maddy & Dad won 1st place in tournament :)

Two weekends ago, game in the mud pit in Mentor!!

Brrrrrr

Midfest Tournament Layout

2009-10-04T20:41:00.004-04:00

Here is a layout I put together of last weekend's tournament pictures. The sketch is from the October sketch for Scrapbook News & Review Magazine. It was an easy sketch to use and the layout came together quickly, which is a real plus these days.

Not much new this weekend. Victoria played two games on Saturday in the State league. They blew away the first team 8-1 and played possession for many minutes. The second game of the day, they ended in a tie. Victoria says they didn't play well and the coach was not happy with the defense for letting in the goals. On the up side, she says she played well both games, which is rare to hear her say. They can still win the league, based on goal differential if they play well the next couple of weekends.

Alex had a football game on Saturday, but unfortunately they lost :( He had a really good tackle behind the line a scrimmage which forced them to punt. Unfortunately, we had an interception & fumble which led to 2 scores by the other team and the loss of the game.

We are the Champions!!

2009-09-28T21:04:00.004-04:00

I spent the weekend with Victoria at the Midfest tournament. They ended the tournament 3-1, with the Championship Trophies!! Two of the teams we played were not good at all. In the second game, we were already up 5 goals early in the first half. The coach let the girls all switch up positions during the second half. Our defenders were on offense & mid, offense was back in defense and our goalie was even playing offense. We ended up winning 8-1. They did score one goal when our goalie was on offense. It was fun to watch them laugh and have a good time. We almost didn't win the final game. We were down 2 goals, with not a lot of time left. The first goal the other team scored was called offsides by the linesman, but the center ref choose to ignore the call. He said, "I have the whistle." I give the girls a lot of credit because they never stopped tying. We tied the game up with only a couple minutes left. We then put two more goals in during overtime to win 4-2.

Maddy's team lost on Saturday, but won on Sunday. Alex's football team won Sunday too! Of course no pictures, since I had the camera. I'm going to Alex's game this weekend and Mark gets to drive to Cleveland & Akron for Victoria's games.

Here are some pictures from the game :)

Another Layout

2009-09-21T19:11:00.003-04:00

I had the day off today, so I was able to scrap a little. This was a very simple layout based off another sketch from Scrapbooks Etc. make it yours challenge. Pictures of Maddy with my nephews puppy, who is extremely shy. She never makes a peep and hides a lot, but she did come out to see Maddy. Maddy was saying goodbye as Kyle was leaving soon to take the dog home.

Layout Done....Finally

2009-09-20T20:14:00.008-04:00

I have been struggling lately to get any scrappin' done. It seems by the time I finally sit down at night, I am too tired to get anything done. Here is a layout I did for the Make it Yours challenge at Scrapbooks Etc. The pictures are from this summer & Victoria's first time water skiing.

On another note, Victoria came in first again at this weeks Cross Country meet. There was a school this Saturday that did not run in the last meet. They had a good runner. Victoria let her take the lead and stayed right behind her the first part of the race. Early in the 2nd mile, Victoria went in front, but the girl sprinted to get the lead. Victoria decided to let her keep the lead until the last hill, which is shortly before the finish. When Victoria was in the final sprint to the finish, she was once again, all by herself. The times were much slower this week with 2 hills & going through the sand twice & a lot more wind, but she still finished at 13:25. She doesn't get to run CYO again, until the final meet. Hopefully, she can come back to win :)
Coming in all by herself :)

Final sprint to the finish.

Maddy's team did well on Saturday with a 5-0 win. I was able to see a little of the first half and all the second half of the game. Victoria & I came straight from Cross Country in Oregon. She played really well on defense and had to cover for another player who is not too strong. The other team parents would get really excited thinking they were going to score & then Maddy would come across and clear out the ball. Here are a couple of photos :)

The final game of the weekend was Alex's football game today. We were there for 4 hours!! He has to arrive 1 hour before the game and unfortunately the game before his went into triple overtime, which caused us to start about 45 minutes late. They played really well in the first half and then had a couple of plays in the second half that gave some scoring opportunities to the other team. Alex did have a fumble recovery, which set up their second score of the game. He played all of the third & fourth quarters except for a couple of plays. He is one tired boy tonight. Here are a couple of photos from today's game.

Refueling
Fumble recovery. Yes, he did fall on it, but I didn't get the picture :(

Some Pictures from Sunday's Games

2009-09-15T21:28:00.004-04:00

This Sunday, Alex played in his third football game for the Browns. It was the first game that they had a pass to the tight end. He was nervous before the game and not too confident he could catch the ball. The first pass he couldn't quite hold onto, but the second one he caught for a first & goal!! I think he was pretty pleased that I got a picture too :)

Maddy also had another game on Sunday. It wasn't the 14-2 win they enjoyed on Sunday, but they did play hard. They ended up loosing 5-2, but Maddy played well. Here are a couple of pictures from the game.

First Place!!!

2009-09-13T14:00:00.003-04:00

Victoria had her first CYO Cross Country meet on Saturday morning and not only did she improve her time over two weeks ago by nearly 30 seconds, she came in First Place for Jr. High Girls!!! Her coaches told her to stay behind a couple of girls, who they thought would be the best. She did for the first mile, then overtook them at the start of the second mile. They were right behind her for the first part of the second mile and then she steadily increased her lead. I was waiting by the finish line when someone asked, "Is that the turtle or is that the first runner?" I turned around to see Victoria all by herself with a couple hundred yards to go. I said, "That's the first place runner and that's my daughter!!!" What a great feeling to see your daughter coming in first with no other runners in sight!! (Not that I'm not proud when she doesn't come in first :) Anyway, her file mile was 6:29 and her second was 6:15, for a total of 12:44!! I don't think the coaches are going to tell her to hang back next week!! Just run your race Victoria!!! So proud of you :)

The final sprint to the finish line!!

Rounding the final corner in the race!!

First Place Medal!!

Also, big congrats to Victoria for being voted Vice President for Student Council. She was running against two other girls, so I am again proud of her accomplishment.

On another note, Madalyn had her first soccer game of the season yesterday too. Unfortunately, it was at the exact same time as Victoria's race, so I don't have any pictures. Mark is coaching again this year, so I can only go when the others don't conflict. The good news is they won 14-2!! She plays again today and I will be able to see most of the game. She is not too happy that Dad is putting her in goal to start the game, but I have confidence in her!! First, I have to drop Alex off to warm up for his football game, which starts around the same time Maddy should be ending. Hopefully, we can bring home a couple more wins. It's a beautiful day, so that always helps.

Page Maps Contest

2009-09-11T21:58:00.003-04:00

I love sketches and this one from Page Maps is no exception. It was a perfect start for a tribute to my Grandmother. We are celebrating her memorial mass on Sunday, so the timing of my layout worked out perfectly. She was such an amazing lady and I am very fortunate to have had so many years with her. She is dearly missed, but I know she is now joined in heaven with her husband and they are once again happy together :)

Here is the sketch:

Here is my take on the sketch.

Last Design for Prism

2009-09-07T20:16:00.004-04:00

My last layout for Prism is up on the website :) Here is a little sneak peak. It's a layout dedicated to my Dad & the work he did many years ago for the Apollo space missions. I just recently found out about it, or maybe I was told when younger & just forgot, but he was kind enough to do some journaling for me to complete this page. I love it when you can really capture a story that might have been lost forever.

On another note, Victoria had her first soccer tournament of the season. It's a new team that was formed by taking the most dedicated players from 2 teams and combining the players to make a select team. She is playing mainly tournaments & in the State B league, so the competition is harder than what they have faced in the past. The good news....Champions!!! They won 2 games & tied 2 games, but that was enough. They played the same team twice on Sunday. The first time we played them, it was a 2-2 tie. Their coach told them if they play their game they should beat this team 4-0, well the final game we won 3-0, so he was right on target. They were actually playing in a U14/U15 age bracket with half U13 & half U14 players, so I would say they did great. I can't wait to see how they grow as a team the next couple of months. Some of the girls saw the spray paint in the tent at the beginning of the tournament & their coach agreed if they won they could spray paint his hair, so yes they all have purple hair!!

Another 2-page layout

2009-08-31T21:36:00.007-04:00

Well, I've been on a roll lately creating two-page spreads. Here is one I created of Victoria's 13th birthday with her friends. The paper is from the new family line of Scrappin' Sports & More.

This weekend Victoria participated in her first Cross Country meet of the season. It wasn't the regular CYO meet, but one against other middle schools. Victoria came in 6th overall, with a 2-mile time of 13:13. It was her new personal best and she came in 1st for St. Michael's. She was very happy with her time as her goal was to run under 14 minutes. Now she would like to try to get down to 13 even. Here's a picture a her coming down the shoot to the finish line. You can see the muscle in her leg!!

On Sunday, our day was filled with football and soccer. Alex got to play on the High School Field, so that was really cool. The Browns lost in triple overtime to the Bengals :( However, Alex did play well and here is a picture of him making a tackle for a loss of yards. He is playing tight-end this year and I think he likes it better. Tonight at practice they were learning a new pass play which would go to the tight end. He was never allowed to carry the ball before, so I think he is pretty excited.

I videotaped soccer, so no pictures of that game. They didn't play the best either and lost 2-1.

Prism Cardstock Giveaway Winner

2009-08-26T22:05:00.003-04:00

And the winner is #8.

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 8
Result: 8
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

I couldn't get the box to copy over, but you get the idea.

Congratulations Peggy!!! You can check out the selections at Prism Paper website. Now the hard part, just picking out one Prismatic Pack & one Accent Pack. Congrats again :)

Happy Sunday!!

2009-08-23T21:13:00.005-04:00

Today was a good Sunday. It was nice not to be running from one event to the next. Alex had his first Football game of the season, which they won, 16-0. Yes, even though he is on the Browns team, they won a football game. LOL No pictures though as Victoria's soccer scrimmage was at the same time, so I was with her. I actually only took a couple of pictures today and only one really turned out at all. They played well until the last 5 minutes of the game and then gave up 3 goals!! Not sure what happened. But, early in the game they were passing really well. The coach only wants one touch on the ball and then you pass to the open person, so it's a very fast paced game. I think they could have a good team as they learn and improve on this new way to play. Here is the only decent picture I got today.

I was able to complete a layout from Alex's 11 Birthday this weekend too. I actually did another 2-page spread!! It's pretty simple, but I still like how it turned out. Sorry it's so small, the stitching software made it into a really small file and I can't figure out how to make it bigger.

So much to share!!

2009-08-19T17:53:00.006-04:00

I almost forgot to post my Prism layout today. I was to busy getting ready for the first day of school!! So, this months theme is texture. We were asked to add texture by using punches, die cuts, tearing, distressing, etc. I choose to use layered punches, a texturizing plate & die cuts. Here is a little glimpse of my project, but to see the entire layout you need to pop on over to the Prism Blog. Speaking of Prism, don't forget about the giveaway. Leave me a message that tells me what you like best about the blog and you could find some wonderful cardstock in the mail!!

Also on the scrappin' note...I finished this layout yesterday of Victoria running in her first 5K. She did Amazing!! There were 524 finishers. Victoria's overall place was 76 and she finished 2nd out of 52 in the Female 14 and under age group. Her time of 22:13 gave her a pace of 7:10 per mile. So proud...here's the layout I made using the new lines from Scrappin Sports & More.

Last but not least....the first day of school photos. Yes, same green & white shirts! Next year...Victoria will get to wear "street" clothes. Gasp!! LOL

Prism Cardstock Giveaway!!

2009-08-13T21:39:00.002-04:00

All of my scrappin' friends know that I think Prism cardstock is the best. I love the colors, texture and the quality of the product. That alone was what got me hooked. But now that I've had the privilege to guest design for this company, I can say, what I love most about Prism now are the people. Jamie is totally amazing to work for and the DT members are very warm, making you feel part of the group right away. While I am sad that my 3 months are coming to an end, I am excited to tell you about a wonderful cardstock giveaway. Jamie, I told you she was amazing, has decided to let all the guest DT members give away a free Prismatics Pack & Coordinating Accent Pack of the winners choice!!! Woo Hoo......

So, how do you get some scrumptious cardstock delivered to you for free???? Simply visit the Prism blog and then come back to my blog and leave me a post on what you like about the Prism blog. I will use the random org to pick a winner on August 26th.

Also....Jamie is posting the new guest DT positions on the blog today. This could be your chance to get to know the product, the company & the amazing people associated with it a little bit better. Good Luck everyone!!

Scrappin' Sports & More new releases

2009-08-07T20:35:00.003-04:00

I realized today that I forgot to post my latest creations using the new Family line and the new Name of the Game line by Scrappin Sports & More. I actually mixed the lines on the soccer layout, using the yellow from the Brother/Sister paper in the Family line. I love it when you can cross over lines!! The other BIG plus for me is that the new Family line uses the same color formula as my favorite cardstock Prism!!!

It may be hard to see on the post, but the left hand picture in the soccer layout, you can actually read Captain on the leg band. Love it when I get good shots!! This was the first season that the coach decided to really choose captains based on what they bring to the game & practice. Victoria was Captain all but the second game of the season. I am so proud of how she conducts herself around her coach and her peers.

Prism Bad to the Bone layout

2009-08-03T16:22:00.005-04:00

For my second Inspired By layout for the Prism Blog, I found my inspiration while buying the Kleenex needed as part of the kids school supplies. They have some really cool designs on the boxes these days!! Here is the inspiration piece that I choose.

I loved the color combination and of course the circles & stars. Of course, Prism has wonderful cardstock colors and making the exact match was easy. I didn't plan on using the skulls until I had chosen my pictures for the layout. I mean what could go better with Bad to the Bone as a title. Here is a little sneak peak of the layout.

To see the rest of the layout, just pop on over to the Prism Blog. There is new inspiration waiting for you everyday!!

CHA & Prism

2009-07-28T18:00:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to share the layout that Prism has taken to CHA that I created. I have been really fortunate to get to spend the past couple of months with the amazingly talented Prism Design Team. They are really, really sweet & funny ladies. I will miss being part of the team next month when my 3 month assignment comes to an end :( But for now, I leave you with my layout of Alex & Maddy from about 5 years ago. Where does the time go????

Prism...Inspired By Layout

2009-07-20T20:23:00.002-04:00

Well, I thought that blogger would submit my post on Friday, but it obviously did not!!! Anyway, this month the theme at the Prism blog is to use something, it could be anything, as the inspiration for your projects. It could be color, theme, etc. Well I choose the Basic Grey Lime Rickey Howdy Doody paper for my inspiration, well, because it so darn cute :) To see the completed layout, pop on over to the Friday post on the Prism blog. Here is a sneak peak of my little birds I made from circle punches.

CHA Papers From Scrappin' Sports

2009-07-12T22:40:00.003-04:00

Scrappin' Sports & More has come out with two new lines for the CHA show this summer. The first is a sports line featuring all your favorite sports with cardstock stickers to match. The second is a brand line concept for SS&M the Family & More line. It features papers for Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Aunt, Uncle....etc. It also has Baby Boy/Newborn & Baby Girl/ Newborn. The colors are fabulous and for your Prism lovers they match the cardstock!! Gotta love that :) Anyway, here are a couple of layouts I did with the new family line. In my defense, Shirley you reminded me of these pictures last time we were in Michigan, so I thought I should scrap them!! LOL

Prism Giveaway...One you don't want to miss

2009-07-11T21:49:00.003-04:00

Hey ladies!! You need to check out the Prism blog for a wonderful giveaway. Andrea Deer designer for The Whole Kit N Kaboodle has generously offered to give away, not one, not two, but THREE kits!! That is 5 fabulous 12 x 12 pages all ready cut & prepped, all you do is add adhesive & pictures!! Oh....and what brand of cardstock does she use exclusively? Prism of course!! Here's all you have to do to have a chance to win this wonderful prize package. Since it is 3 kits -in your comment on the Prism blog list 3 things that made you laugh out loud today. Please only one post per person. That's it...easy peasy!! So what are you waiting for.....hop on over to the Prism blog. Oh....and while you're out surfing the net, please visit The Whole Kit N Kaboodle. There are so many wonderful kits with new ones added each month, BUT once they sell out they are gone forever!! You may want to sign up for the Kit of the Month Club too while your there so you don't miss out on exclusive kits only available to those members.

Prism What were you inking part two

2009-06-24T18:42:00.003-04:00

My layout for the Prism DT Blog what were you inking (part two) is up on the website. I really had fun just working with Cardstock & Chalk Inks. It's amazing how little supplies you really need to get a look you like and it also saves on time, which is at a premium these days. I thought summer was going to slow down, well, I was so wrong!! It's Wednesday and I've already put in 34 hours at work and I have at least 18 more to go. Uggghhhh!!!! I even got pulled in to teach part of the training class today, no pressure there :) Luckily, no one asked questions that I couldn't answer, so that made me feel a lot better. Anyway....here's a little sneak peak of my project. Please visit the Prism DT blog, these ladies are SO AMAZING!!!!! I could not have asked for a better experience. Just another reason, I will only buy Prism cardstock!!!!

Prism Blog Giveaway

2009-06-22T21:30:00.003-04:00

Who would like to win some wonderful Prism class kits??? Everyone right, LOL. Well, it's super easy. Just go over the the Prism blog, post a comment with your favorite song & artist and you could be a winner!!! So, what are you waiting for, ladies???? Here is the link to the Prism Blog. Oh, and while you're there, check out the Design Team work. My guest DT project will be up tomorrow :) I'll post more about that later!!

First Swim Meet

2009-06-10T22:34:00.004-04:00

Victoria had her first swim meet ever tonight. She swam in 5 races...50 m backstroke (medley relay), 50 m freestyle, 50 m backstroke, 50 m breast, 50 m freestyle (relay). She ended up first, first, third, third & second. Not bad for only 3 practices in the water!! She was really nervous before it started, but calmed down after the first race. It was a bit cool tonight (69), but they had fun. I didn't realize it would take 4 1/2 hours from warm-up to the end (yes she was in race 87) and we only swam against one other team. I can't imagine how long it will take for the big meets. Enjoy the pictures :)

Slideshow for Grandma & Grandpa

2009-06-07T23:49:00.003-04:00

As promised, some pictures from the past few months.

Page Maps Contest

2009-06-07T19:51:00.005-04:00

Just in the nick of time :) This layout is for the Page Maps Challenge that ends today. I just love this site and all the wonderful sketches by Becky Fleck. I would have been finished earlier, but I was trying to find the letters that Mark & Maddy wrote to each other the night of the dance....but No Luck :( So, instead I had to beg to get a few sentences from Mark so I could finish my layout. I love that they get a professional photo from the event too. It's the only time I get these kinds of photos with Mark and the girls. This was Madalyn's first year going alone as Victoria was playing indoor soccer and in 7th grade it's not cool anymore. Thanks for looking everyone :)

Prism Guest Designer

2009-06-04T15:52:00.004-04:00

Today, my first official layout for the Prism DT blog is up!! I am so excited to be a part of this Amazing group, if only for a few months. Check out my post :) as well as the other guest designers that have been featured this month!! Here is a little sneak peak....the assignment was What was I inking, so of course, I used my Colorbox Chalk Inks. I promise to post tomorrow all the things we've been up to for the last couple of weeks, but for now check out the Prism blog!!

A couple of Cards

2009-05-07T21:16:00.003-04:00

Last month part of our DT challenge was to create two cards for a call. Cards are not normally my thing, so it always takes me a bit longer to create. Anyway, I used my sizzix dies to create these Halloween cards. All the paper is from Scrappin' Sports & More.

Woo Hoo...Prism Guest Blogger!!

2009-05-04T21:38:00.003-04:00

I was extremely surprised, excited & honored to receive an email today Congratulating me on being chosen as a guest blogger for June & July for Prism. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I LOVE PRISM cardstock!!! They have the best colors and best texture available. It actually felt really great to only use cardstock on a layout and took me a lot less time than normal too, which is a big plus these days. Anyway, here are the layouts I submitted for the call. You can also check out the other 4 amazing ladies work on the Prism Blog. Have a wonderful week!! I be doing the happy dance all week :)

I'm back :)

2009-04-27T22:01:00.003-04:00

I know it's been a while since my last post, but life always gets crazy here during soccer season. This year is even busier with both Victoria and Alex running track too. Couple that with working more hours, well you get the picture. I'm hoping things will start to slow at least a little. Anyway, here are the projects that I've been working on. I have a couple more to finish up for April. I'll post some pictures of the kids soon :)

Lots of Updates

2009-03-16T21:17:00.011-04:00

It's been a long time since my last post. I am not so good at this working full time as it's taking away all my play time. Here are some pictures from the past month to catch you up on what been happening in our lives.

During February, Maddy & Mark attended the Father Daughter Dance at St. Mikes. This was the first year Maddie had Dad all to herself. Victoria had an indoor soccer game, so she didn't go this year.

Victoria's 7th grade Basketball team won 2nd place in tournament. They lost to the only team that beat them during the regular season in the league.

We brought home two new furry friends from the Humane Society. The little one, Peaches, had a rough start and had to spend some time at the vet, but is doing wonderful now. Sophie was scared at first, but she too has come out of her shell and is enjoying all the attention. Today I noticed they were sleeping together and cleaning each other, so I think they will be good friends too. Here is a picture of Peaches. Yes, she has a hard life here at the Shand home.

Here is a picture of Sophie. She is very well behaved, unlike her partner :)

Maddy's class performed Mass.

This past weekend was also the Boy Scout Pine Wood Derby. It was a long afternoon, 3 hours!! Alex was second in his den, so he will be moving on to the next level. I'm not sure who was happier, Alex or Mark, LOL!!

Today, I received the latest copy of Scrapbooking & Beyond. I was lucky enough to get a page published!!

Well, I think that is enough for now. I completed a couple of scrapbook pages, but I'll save those for the next post.

You are Loved & Missed!!!!

2009-03-02T22:24:00.002-05:00

Here is my first layout as a tribute to Pumpkin. I wanted to capture the feelings of the kids before we bring home the new kitten & 2 year old cat we adopted today.

A Fond Farewell to Pumpkin

2009-02-27T15:09:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday when we got home from Victoria's Basketball tournament, we noticed something was not right with Pumpkin our cat. She got up to go eat and could not walk properly. I carried her to her bowl, thinking something was wrong with her back legs. Unfortunately, that was not the problem. When she went to walk back to her bed, she pitched forward and landed on her face. Something was seriously wrong. We took her into the vet Sunday night. It was a very young vet and she was unsure what was wrong with Pumpkin, so she was going to give her steroids & pain medicine, in case she had swelling in the spine. Unfortunately, she was no better the next day and the diagnosis was a blood clot in her spine. She would never be able to walk again, so we had no choice but to put her to sleep. Alex, Maddy, Mark & I went to say our goodbyes....it was SO hard. It's amazing how much you take for granted that they will always be there to greet you. I know she lived a long life....but those 18 years were not enough :( So today, still with a heavy heart, I say goodbye to Pumpkin.

Cuttlebug Challenge Blog Be Inspired #19

2009-02-18T08:30:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday Everyone!! It's that time again for the Cuttlebug Challenge blog Wednesday challenge. This week the challenge was to emboss acetate. Hmmm...this was very hard for me. I ended up keeping it very simple and just embossed a couple of ghost flowers from Heidi Swapp. It doesn't show up as well in the scan, but it really does add a lot of dimension to the flowers. Anyway...here is my card for the week :)

Make sure you check out what the rest of the Cuttlebug Challenge DT has been up to this week. Okay, now it's your turn. Make a card and add a embossed acetate element and upload to the site. Your card will be posted on the site, but you could also be the Cuttlebug Challenge winner of the week. Thanks for visiting & I hope your having a fabulous day!!!

Cuttlebug Challenge Blog Be Inspired #18

2009-02-11T08:30:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone :) If you've joined me from the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog...Welcome to my cyber home. This weeks challenge was to make a shaped embossed card. I chose to use some of the goodies I received in class at CHA from Imaginisce. Here is the card I came up with for the Cuttlebug Challenge....Don't you just love that little bird :)

Here are the products that I used for this card...
Cuttlebug Leafy Branch Embossing Folder & Small Circle Die (approximately 1 1/4 inch)
Papers, Stamp & rub-ons are all from the Imaginisce Twitterpated collection.
Font...Sizzix Wingo Zingo alphabet
Chalk Ink..Color Box Blush Rose, Ice Blue & Ice Jade

Following is a brief explanation of how I put this card together...it's actually really easy to do. First of all, I started with a white card base 5 1/2 inches square. I used a bowl to trace a circle, but leaving about 2 1/4 inches in tact at the top of the card. I then cut the same circle out of the dark peach cardstock and embossed it with the Cuttlebug Leafy Branch Embossing folder. The next step is to cut your circles, ink if desired and place them around the edge of your white card circle, overhanging by approximately 3/8 of an inch.

The next step is to cut a strip of patterned paper 5 1/2 inches long by 2 inches wide. Adhere to the embossed dark peach cardstock. Adhere this to the base card, trim the edges to match the curve of the card and ink edges, if desired. It should now look like this :)
Next, I applied the rub-ons over edges of the patterned paper. Punch a 2 ¾ inch circle from white cardstock and ink edges with Ice Blue chalk ink. Adhere to right side of card on the patterned paper. Punch a scallop out of patterned paper. Stamp the bird using Stazon Black Ink and fill in using colored pencils. Adhere to the white circle using the foam squares. Using the Wingo Zingo Sizzix alphabet, cut out title from black cardstock and adhere to card front.

Thanks everyone for taking a peek at my blog :) For more Fabulous cards...please stop by the other Cuttlebug Challenge DT Member blogs

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #17

2009-02-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, it is time again for another great challenge at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog. This week we were challenged to create a Love Card or Project. Obviously, I choose project or in my case a layout. I used several wonderful products from Cuttlebug. The word "heart" in my title is my Favorite Alphabet I have ever owned....it's call Red Tag Sale and it is made by...yep you guessed it Cuttlebug. The heart dies are also Cuttlebug. The rest of my title I created using Sizzix Wingo Zingo. The embossed hearts and "my love" are from the sizzix Valentine collection. The picture is from my youngest daughter last year in dance. She decided to call it quits when my older daughter dropped out. Part of me wishes she would have continued as she danced really well for her age. Oh well, you can't really make them participate if they don't want too :) Thanks for stopping by and taking a look. Be sure and stop by the rest of the Design Teams blogs for some great inspiration. These ladies are Amazing I tell you :)

Great Deal at The Whole Kit N Kaboodle

2009-02-01T16:23:00.003-05:00

For those of you who haven't heard of this site, it is a fantastic new kit club site. The layouts are AMAZING!! And....who doesn't want a chance for a great sale or free shipping!!! And if your like me you have a chance to get all your chalk ink at a discount!! The details are below...so what are you waiting for??? Just click here to start saving!!

3 Great Ways to Save!Do we have a fun sale for you! We just returned from the annual Craft & Hobby Association trade show in California – purchasing all of the latest and greatest products the scrapbooking industry has to offer. Andrea will be posting her thoughts on the trends and new products from the convention here on our messageboard beginning Friday, January 30. We challenge you to give us your input! The more you chat – the more you save! For every post you make on our messageboard (ANY post – not just your thoughts on CHA) between now and Wednesday, February 4 you will receive 5% off your entire purchase of pattern paper, chalk inks, albums, and Prism cardstock -- up to 30%! Make one post - save 5%... make two posts - save 10%... all the way up to making six post and saving 30%.

This is a great way to stock up on your basics! Get pattern paper as inexpensive as $.49 (over 40 designs to chose from!) – cardstock as low as $.38, chalk inks for $1.39, and albums for only $20.99!*Discount codes will be emailed on Thursday, February 5. Supplies are limited. Only one discount code can be used per order. Thirty percent on albums good for album only, not on COMPLETED albums.

If that’s not easy enough… we’re adding two more ways to save!
Make over 10 posts on our messageboard by Wednesday, February 4 and you will be entered in a drawing for a $25 gift card to be used on our shopping site! *The winner will be emailed the coupon code on Thursday, February 5. Only one discount code can be used per order. The $25 is good on product, not shipping.

Link The Whole Kit N Kaboodle to your blog by Wednesday, February 4 and you will be entered in a drawing for FREE shipping off your orders in February and March. *The winner will be emailed the coupon code on Thursday, February 5. Only one discount code can be used per order. Free shipping code can be used up to five times in February and March 2009.

Cuttlebug Challenge Sweet for my Sweet

2009-01-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the second stop on the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog Luv bug weekend Sweet for my Sweet Challenge. I kept my project short & sweet,LOL, which means you could easily make these for your kids classrooms, teacher gifts, your own kids, etc.

Here is my project, complete with instructions, just in case you want to make one for your sweetheart :)

1. Take a piece of 5 ½ by 4 1/8 inch piece of pattern paper and fold in half. I used a piece of red with polka dots from Scrappin’ Sports & More new Game Day line.
2. Using the Valentine Sizzix folder, run one end and then the other through the Cuttlebug to emboss. Make sure that you can read the word Valentine from both sides.
3. Lightly sand the embossed design for more depth.
4. Using the 2-step heart #1 Cuttlebug Dies, cut the solid heart from red Prism cardstock and the outline heart from white Prism cardstock. Ink the outline heart with ColorBox warm red chalk ink from Clearsnap, Inc. Adhere to the upper right hand side of the tag.
5. Using the Alpha Typewriter Cuttlebug Dies, cut out the words BE MY using black Prism cardstock. Adhere just above the word Valentine, overlapping the hearts.
6. Using Glossy Accents by Ranger Inc., add 4 white rhinestones to the ends of each swirl.
7. Take a 4” by 5” clear bag to hold the candies, or in this case chocolate covered pretzels. I used a bag that was over some self-adhesive woven labels from Colorbox; it’s a great way to go green!
8. Using a strong tape adhesive, I used the permanent adhesive from Tombo, adhere the tag top to the bag of sweets.
Okay, now it's time for your next word for your quote....the word you need is "Cord". If you want to find the next word and see another great project, hop on over to Becky's Blog. If your having trouble putting the quote together, you can find a clue over at Meda's blog. Thanks for playing along.

Don't forget about the prizes....For gathering all the words for the quote in the blog Hop: Prize Package includes Marvy Uchida, PapersInkadinkado Stamp set and Uhu Glue sets. Be sure and check out the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog all weekend for fabulous projects and more prizes!!

Cuttlebug Challenge #15

2009-01-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

This was my first week to participate in the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog as a DT member. We were given this wonderful Page Map card sketch by Becky Fleck. For this card I used the Cuttlebug circles, the Cuttlebug flower and the Harmony font dies. I also created a second card using the same wonderfule Becky Fleck sketch and some Scrappin' Sports & More papers along with the Red Tag Sale Cuttlebug Alphabet. TFL To see what the rest of the Amazing DT came up with, visit the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog.

My latest creations for SS&M

2009-01-16T15:32:00.003-05:00

Here are a few more creations from the new releases of Scrappin' Sports & More. The game room line is definitely my favorite!!

One more layout using SS&M Sports on Fire

2009-01-14T14:09:00.002-05:00

I finished up another layout yesterday using the back of the Sports on Fire Football paper. These were the first pictures I got of Alex being all padded up last year for football. Just more proof that he is growing up Way Too Fast!!!

Final Layouts of the Weekend

2009-01-11T22:52:00.004-05:00

I finished up 2 more layouts this weekend using the new CHA Game Day releases from Scrappin' Sports & More. I'm telling you these dots are the BEST!!!

More CHA Releases

2009-01-10T22:02:00.002-05:00

Here are a couple more layouts I did for the new Game Day line being released to CHA winter for Scrappin' Sports & More.

Annoucement!!

2009-01-09T22:57:00.002-05:00

It was announced today that I am going to be a Design Team member on the Cuttlebug Challenge blog. I mean who doesn't like to work with Cuttlebug Products. My favorite has got to be the Red Tag Sale alphabet. I use this on nearly every layout I create these days. The Cuttlebug Challenge blog will have weekly challenges and some fun DT challenges, tutorials...with changes to win some prizes. So stop on by....what are you waiting for??

On another note...above are a couple of layouts I created with the new Game Day release from Scrappin' Sports & More. These papers are being released at CHA and shipping next month. Don't you love the dots??? Each page has a different color and the line mixes and matches perfectly. It also matches Prism cardstock. Woo Hoo....my favorite.

You guessed it...more SS&M

2009-01-07T19:38:00.003-05:00

Today I picked up the new paper from Scrappin' Sports & More. WOW...the new Game Day line is wonderful. I can't wait to start playing. The backs are so versatile, I mean who doesn't like polka dots!! Anyway, here are a couple of layouts I finished over the weekend. I realized after completing Maddy's page at the Little Red Schoolhouse, that I still need to do pages for Victoria and Alex when they went! Add it to my never ending list of projects :) Okay...gotta get started on the new lines :)

Helmar is coming to NA!!!!

2009-01-05T19:42:00.002-05:00

Woo Hoo have you heard the news? Helmar is now selling their adhesives in the US. If you have not tried them, you are really missing out. While I do love the adhesive runner, my FAVORITE product is the Premium Craft Glue. If you want a chance to win this great product, check out the Helmar blog!

Sports on Fire!!!

2009-01-04T09:38:00.003-05:00

I was able to create a couple more pages using the new Sports on Fire line from Scrappin' Sports & More...these papers should be printing soon for release at CHA Winter show in Anaheim. Speaking of the show....I AM GOING!!! Woo Hoo....I have never been west of Dallas, so I am very excited to make it all the way out West. I will be there for 5 nights, hopefully Mark survives at home. LOL

Okay, back to Sports on Fire, these papers were just test paper so the official ones will be a little different. First of all, they won't have the glossy finish and second they will be 2-sided with the words written in the fire color on the back. We are hoping to get these this week to design with. We are also getting the new line....it is my favorite!! Can't wait to get my hands on it.

A couple more pages

2008-12-28T14:37:00.002-05:00

I was able to squeeze in some scrappin' time yesterday and came up with two layouts. The first started out as a challenge at A Cherry On Top, to scraplift a Christmas layout but change the Holiday. I used an Easter picture taken this past Easter in England with Mark's sister two kids. I think it is a mix of that scraplift and a lift from one of my favorite designers, Andrea Deer. Thanks Andrea for the inspiration, you really are my favorite designer :) The second page I used my custom paper from Scrappin' Sports & More. Catching turtles is something the kids do every trip to the cottage during the summer.

Christmas Layout

2008-12-27T14:58:00.003-05:00

I was able to complete this layout after returning home from Christmas at my parents house. I used my fabulous custom paper from Scrappin' Sports & More. I mean, who doesn't want paper that has your name printed on it!

We were so blessed this year that everyone was able to attend and everyone was well :) We even had a couple of new additions to the celebrations as two more of my nephews brought their girlfriends. It just doesn't seem like they should be old enough for that!! I can't believe another Christmas has come and gone. The days just seem to fly by. Here's looking forward to a wonderful & relaxing weekend, hopefully full of new creations.

Lots of Pictures to Share

2008-12-22T17:11:00.007-05:00

The past couple of weeks have been very busy! First of all, I finished another 12 pages for a client. Then I started on my Christmas gift for my sister and I am happy to say I completed 31- 8x8 pages in just over a week!! Woo Hoo I am really happy with how they turned out. We have also been busy with Basketball games, Indoor Soccer, School Play, School Band concert & making cookies. Hope you enjoy the photos :)

Scrappin Sports & More Custom Paper

2008-12-10T18:55:00.002-05:00

Have you ever wished you could create your own paper...maybe with your kids names or a favorite pet name, how about that special place? Well, wish no more my friends. SS&M has a new line of custom papers. You pick the colors and the words from some already designed layouts and presto....custom paper. Just call Scrapbooks and you can order in quantities of 12 papers. So what are you waiting for????

A few things to share

2008-12-01T22:18:00.003-05:00

Man...where are the days going???? I've been fighting this cold for the past 3 weeks and it's really putting me behind. Not the time of the year to be sick.

I had the best time last night. Victoria's coaches decided that the mom's should scrimmage the girls in basketball. I thought my heart was going to come out of my chest the first 15 minutes. It was a lot of fun! We used our secret weapon....yup, took them down with our hips. LOL

Anyway....off to the creative side of things....Scrappin' Sports & More has come out with a new sports line called Sports on Fire. It was perfect for Victoria's soccer team, the Blue Flames. I also created a small Christmas flip out book. Today I received my Scrappin' Sports & More custom papers. We each got to design 4 custom papers. I can't wait to use them, they all turned out really amazing.

Who says you can't be in your 40's & Sexy???

2008-11-18T19:25:00.004-05:00

My sisters, my Mom and I went on our annual shopping trip this past weekend. Angie decided we needed to have some fun before we did any serious shopping, so we hit the Juniors department at Macy's and grabbed some dresses. I mean really, neon blue and cheetah print....does anyone really think that looks good together?? Maybe they made it just for us! We had a blast. I'm sure people thought we were nuts!!! Later that evening we went to the theatre for the live production of Oliver. It was a really great show. The good news is that I am over halfway done with my shopping and I had a Blast doing it :) It was good to get away for a couple of days, but now back to reality, work, homework, chauffeur.....

A Very Cold Soccer Weekend

2008-11-10T09:27:00.002-05:00

Victoria participated in her last outdoor soccer tournament of the season. I normally love watching them play, but this weekend was another story. It was COLD...I mean chill you do the bones cold, tense every muscle in your body until you hurt from head to toe. It was low 40's, thick black clouds, rain/sleet/wet snow with wind chills in the 30's. I was so cold this weekend I only took about 15 pictures and only at the first game. I was so happy, as was my daughter, that they lost and only had to play one game on Sunday. Luckily, this coming weekend we start indoor soccer and basketball....can't wait to sit indoors and watch :)

Toot Toot!!

2008-10-29T21:17:00.002-04:00

I opened my email this evening to find that Scrapbooking & Beyond wants to publish one of my layouts. For those ladies who saw the layout of Maddie with the umbrella, where I made the flowers with all the brads...yep that's the one :) It will be in the Summer 09 issue, that just sounds so far away!!

Attached is my layout of Alex's last birthday for the Scrappin' Sports & More sketch challenge we had this month. We were to finish the sketch in one hour or less. Okay, it was done, not counting the adhesive and printing of the photos. For me, that's really good. I used the Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder on the striped paper.

Something Creative to Share

2008-10-25T19:02:00.002-04:00

Finally, I have created something for me, not for a client :) I fell in love with the Fancy Pants tree & owl, they are so cool. Apparently everyone else loved the tree too, because when I went to my LSS yesterday, they were sold out. I added some Little Yellow Bicycle flocked goodies I had from CHA. The papers are Scrappin' Sports & More.

Speaking of creative, Helmar adhesive is having it's first Design Team in the US. They have some really great product. I was lucky enough to get some through a friend. Anyway, if your interested in applying, check out Tracy's blog with all the details. http://www.tracywburgos.typepad.com/

Seven More Games....

2008-10-13T21:30:00.005-04:00

Maddie's first time in goal :)

Last time in his Gators uniform. Victoria's new desk...didn't Mark do a great job on the wall?

Before....old patio door

New, beautiful wood patio door with built in blinds!
Before
After...my scrapbook room

Yes, between the 3 kids, we had seven games this weekend. Madalyn was in a soccer tournament and played two games Saturday & two games Sunday. This was the first week she played in goal and she did really well. I'm so proud of her. Her team came in Third, so not bad. Victoria had two soccer games this weekend. She got to play on Saturday night on the High School field under the lights. Unfortunately, my pictures didn't come out too well :( Alex had his final football game as a Gator. They were undefeated this season, so needless to say he was happy.

Last week, we had our new windows and patio door installed. It looks Wonderful!!! It's amazing that in four days, all windows were cut out, installed and then framed out with wood trim. The downside, I need to find all new window treatments. The wood is just too beautiful to drill holes into, so I'm on the lookout for alternatives.

Mark finished painting Victoria's bedroom last week. He says never again will he paint multi colored stripes on a wall. The desk was from our recent trip to IKEA. Love that store. We still need to put of shelves and pictures, etc. but at least the painting is done.

On the scrappin' side of things, I've been working on a scrapbook for a client. I have 10 pages done and 3 more to complete in book number one. She wants books two & three completed before Christmas :)

Same Old Same Old

2008-10-01T21:04:00.002-04:00

Yep, not much new going on. Weekends are filled with sports. Weekdays are spent working way too many hours recently :) Attached are a couple of things I created lately. Actually the snow ball I created last month, but never posted it yet. I've been working on albums for clients, so not much time lately for fun scrappin'.

Fieldtrip to the Little Red Schoolhouse

2008-09-26T14:50:00.004-04:00

This trip is one of the biggest highlights of Third Grade. They used to have to wait until April or May to go, but the past couple of years they moved the field trip to September. Madalyn was so excited. Doesn't she look like she would fit right in on Little House on the Prairie? The outfit was made by my mom 4 years ago when Victoria went. They have to pack lunch based on what they would have eaten back then, wrap everything in waxed paper and drink from mason jars. It is such a great trip.

An altered item & more sports photos :)

2008-09-22T14:38:00.006-04:00

Victoria had a great run on Saturday morning, coming in 16th in the 7th & 8th girls grade 2-mile run and 2nd for St. Michaels School. We don't have her official time, but we know she was in the 13 minute time frame. Her team also played their best soccer game Saturday. They totally dominated the first half with at least 20 shots on goal and would you believe, not one went in. We ended in a 2-2 tie, but I was extremely proud of the team. Victoria played 60 of the 70 minute game, which is good since the high school girls coach was watching the entire game. Maddie's team did great this weekend too. They had their first win Saturday, over a team we haven't beat in the past two years. (I really love that we beat them because they have an obnoxious coach who yells all the time. Nothing worse that a woman screaming on the sideline) She scored her first goal of the season too. I saw her score, but no picture :( Sunday Maddie's team ended in a 5-5 tie, but I missed the game because Alex was playing at the same time. Mark said they all played great. His team won their football game on Sunday, so it was a great sports weekend.

On the scrappin' side, I finished up an altered wooden star ornament for Victoria's room. It is about 7" tall. I wasn't sure I was liking it at first, but I like how it came together in the end.

More Soccer, What Else!!!

2008-09-19T15:24:00.003-04:00

I spent last weekend and Tuesday night watching Victoria play soccer. Tournament was good, with all the teams being nearly equal. Well, all but one. There was a nasty team there from St. Louis. The girls held onto jerseys, arms, whatever they could....did body slams to our players, cussed up a storm, calling our girls nasty names....and where were the refs???? Good question....very lacking with the calls. In the game were we played this team, we had 2 girls end up with buckle fractures of their wrists. Now they are both playing with casts on for the next 6 weeks. As bad as that was, it didn't compare to the last game on Sunday. That is when hurricane Ike made his way through Cincinnati. The officials made the girls play the first 10 minutes of the game, even though trees had fallen around the park, the porta potties were blown over, the trash cans blew over spewing trash through the air and across the field. They could hardly open their eyes for the through ins, of which there were many since the wind just blew the ball off the field. On the way home, they were saying we were experiencing 60+ mph winds. Crazy I tell you! They finished the game with a penalty shoot out. The ref had to kneel beside the ball to try and block the wind. As soon as it would die down a little he would lean back, blow the whistle and make the girl kick the ball. What a lot of pressure for 12 year old girls.

On Tuesday, we played Perrysburg, who we had just beat 2-0 in tournament. Well, with one player out due to injury, one getting hurt during the game, 4 players coming directly from either cross country or volleyball, we didn't do so well. We ended up loosing 4-0.

On another note, Madalyn has become obsessed with dogs. She was at the neighbors house 4 times today, so she could walk their dog, Snickers. Sorry, Maddie, no dogs in our house anytime soon, just too busy!!!

Sunday Games

2008-09-07T21:34:00.004-04:00

Hey...put your arm down

Alex was double teamed by really short guys.....
Tackle and fumble...WooHoo great job Alex :)
And he was also double teamed by some really big boys...that's awfully close to a face mask!
Getting around those big boys....

Today Maddie had her second soccer game. Unfortunately, they got beat bad. I lost count how bad. Anyway, I was able to come see so I got a few pictures :) Next it was off to the football field for Alex's game. They had a better outcome scoring 3 times to none. We can't really call them official touchdowns yet, since they don't play on a full size field and don't officially keep score. The other team had really, really big kids and really short ones. Alex is the second tallest on his team and they had a couple of boys nearly a head taller than him. He had an excellent tackle early on in the game, causing the boy to fumble the ball. So his team is now "un"officially 2-0 for the season.

Today I finished up one more school layout. I almost forgot I was doing the first day for all 3 at the same grade level. It's one of those layouts, that I don't really like at all, but at least I can say it's done.

And the Season's Begin

2008-09-06T20:32:00.005-04:00

Victoria's corner Kick

After the first mile....

Coming down the home stretch of the second mile....
Feeling the pain......

Today, Victoria and I started off at 7:30 so we would be in BG by 8:00 for the first Cross Country meet. She ran really well for her first race...2 miles in 14 1/2 minutes through fairly rough terrain. Lots of dips, apples down, etc...etc... She wasn't able to get to the inside of the pack until after the first couple of turns, so I think that hurt her time a little, but she came in 19th with about 100 girls running. She also had a disadvantage starting in the second row.

Soccer was going great for Victoria today. She played an excellent game today. Unfortunately, even though they led almost the entire game, we had a penalty with under 2 minutes to play and the other team scored to tie it 1-1. I missed Maddie's game today, but will get to see her play tomorrow :)

Above is Maddie's first day of school layout. She loves polka dots, so I had to use the green polka dot paper. I popped off the third grade stickers to add more dimension.

Check Out Scrap Street Magazine

2008-09-05T20:23:00.002-04:00

The September issue of ScrapStreet Magazine is on-line and is featuring Scrappin' Sports & More. The ladies at the Magazine did a wonderful job with the product. I almost forgot that I have a layout in the magazine too :) Thanks Jennifer!! If you want to take a peak here is the link. http://www.scrapstreet.com/mag08/sept/features/naturally.htm

Two Down....

2008-09-02T21:00:00.005-04:00

I finished up Alex's first day of school layout this past weekend. I was hoping to work on Maddie's too, but between 3 parties, 2 football games, a little bit of shopping and plenty of house cleaning, the weekend flew by. Alex had his first Football Game this weekend, it was plenty hot again, upper 80's, no shade. They were out in it for 2 1/2 hours. The game lasted 1 1/2 hours, a bit too long if you ask me :) I even got some physical activity in a spirited game of kick ball at the neighbors party. Nothing like feeling out of breath running around a few easy bases....man did I feel old!!! Hope you all had a great weekend. Gonna go start Maddie's layout...stayed tuned.

One down, two to go...

2008-08-27T21:28:00.002-04:00

Well, I thought this year I would try and get the first day of school photos scrapped early. I started with Victoria, LOVE these 7th Grade Colors. I have been using lots of Kiwi, Classic Orange, Intense Cobalt lately. I can't get enough of Prism cardstock, it has got to be my favorite scrappin' supply right now.

Not much else going on, just work, work and more work!!! I am doing my current job and training on a new position and I have to do both until at least mid-October, so feelin' a little stressed out in that department. I decided that Scrappin' is my therapy :)

Off to start on number 2..............

A brief update

2008-08-24T18:30:00.004-04:00

Man, the days are just flying by....and I don't seem to be getting anything accomplished!! This past week I spent way too many hours getting ready for a garage sale. We went through every closet, every basket of toys, EVERYTHING we could. The end result was good, but getting there was exhausting. We also started school on Tuesday, which has added homework to our schedule. I've been working more hours at work too, which is not helping me get things done at home. But, at least the sale is over and I have a garage worth of "stuff" not in my house anymore :)

Today was the first soccer scrimmage for Victoria. They didn't win today, but I think she played really well. It was HOT!!! 88 degrees at game time and Extremely humid. The fans were complaining, but the girls played on, two 35 minute halves. Victoria played the entire first half of the game and over 20 minutes the second half. I don't know how she does it, but I am very proud of her. The picture was taken of her shooting on goal.

I was finally able to sit down and scrap last night, so I thought I better work on one of my Scrappin' Sports layouts for the Becky Higgins sketch at CK. I am pleased with how it turned out, even though it is pretty simple. Love the expressions on Mark and Alex's faces on these photos. Hard to believe that was nearly 4 years ago. I just realized I'm not suppose to put it on my blog until after the call is complete, so I'll share later.

Sooooo close :)

2008-08-11T21:34:00.002-04:00

Well, I didn't get a layout published in Creating Keepsakes, but I came really, really close. My name was listed on page 98 in the September issue as one of 10 people that "caught the eye" of Joannie Mcbride for the CK Reader Gallery. The ironic thing is I don't even know what layout I submitted! LOL Oh well, at least now I know they may be considering my layouts :)
On another note, today was Alex's 10 year check-up. He is 4'11" and 91 lbs. That puts him in the 95% on height, which if he continues to follow this curve, would make him 6'2" and 200 lbs. I can't imagine that, but I'm sure it will be here before I know it.

My Own Creation

2008-08-10T21:09:00.002-04:00

As I was looking for winter photos, I came across these pictures of Alex "playing golf" from Feb 2001. When you look back, it doesn't seem real that 7 1/2 years have already passed since these were taken. I mean, I know I haven't gotten any older. LOL Anyway, not much going on, just a lazy Sunday afternoon/evening spent with the family. Hope you all had a great weekend.

And the layouts continue...

2008-08-08T23:27:00.002-04:00

Yes, a couple more layouts that just needed photos added :) The Christmas one is the make-n-take at CHA from Little Yellow Bicycle. Love their new products. The other, one of my favorites I might add, is one created by Andrea. So glad I went to the store the day they were selling her class layouts....stay tuned...I have more just waiting for pictures. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

More Class Layouts

2008-08-07T21:21:00.003-04:00

I've been cheating a bit today and finishing up some class layouts that I bought. They have been laying out on my tables drying out. Yes, these are the layouts that I spilled an entire cup of hot tea on. I know I cried a bit. I had an entire album sitting by my desk and knocked over a full cup of tea right into the top of the album. Gives a new meaning to the tea stained look. I had a couple of layouts ruined, as hot tea and pictures do not mix. It sure is a lot faster scrapping when all you have to do is print pictures to size and mount! The Halloween layout is from Little Yellow Bicycle Class at CHA. The other two layouts were created by Andrea Deer, such a talented lady!!! If you ever get a chance to take her classes, sign up, they are definitely worth the money.

Another Busy Week

2008-08-06T22:18:00.005-04:00

Well, what has happened this past since last Wednesday. Thursday we quickly celebrated Alex's 10th Birthday at home. He was only home for a couple of hours all day, with Day Camp from 8:30-3 and then back out for the sleepover at 6. I didn't actually see him again until Saturday night. The girls and I left for the cottage on Friday afternoon, right after they finished soccer camp. Mark and Alex went to Celina to do a shooting, fishing & archery event. Then they met us in Michigan, where we celebrated Alex's birthday with the family. Victoria went back to NB with my sister on Sunday for soccer camp. On Monday after work, Alex and I drove to Ft. Wayne to pick up Rylan. I worked late on Tuesday, Alex had practice Tuesday night. Today was much easier, just work and then the dreaded pile of laundry. The good news, I am off for the next couple of days. Mark, however is leaving for South Carolina in the morning. On Friday, it will be time to pick up Victoria and take Rylan back. But as busy as I thought I was this week, next week starts more practices. Yes, every night of the week, Victoria has practice. Alex has practice 3 days a week and we haven't even added Maddie in yet. Yikes....not ready for school, sports, scouts, etc to start up in full force again.

Okay, enough of that, I did squeeze in a layout for SS&M today between loads of laundry. I am sooooo lovin' my Red Tag Sale letters. These dies are so cool!!!!

Happy Wednesday

2008-07-30T20:17:00.003-04:00

Nothin much happening today with me just work. The girls went to soccer camp and Alex to boy scout camp. Tomorrow is a big day though, my boy turns 10!!! Double digits...where has the time gone??

Here is a 2-page layout I finished...I only had to add photos as it was a class by one talented lady, Andrea. Pictures are from Maddie's birthday a couple of years ago. Have a great day!

I'm Back :)

2008-07-25T18:34:00.003-04:00

My daughter and her best friend since Kindergarten
My sisters boys playing football.
Natalie, Andrea & Carrie...Scrappin' Sports & More DT
Me :), Renee & Jennifer....more of the SS&M DT. Notice all the cameras on the table :)

I can't believe I have been home for 5 days already and have not posted anything. I had a wonderful time at CHA. There are always so many new wonderful papers, embellishments, die cuts. It becomes almost too much to take in. I don't know how the buyers can make decisions.

I loved meeting the ladies on the SS&M DT. Jennifer, you are just as I expected...fun, bubbly, fun of laughter. Renee & Natalie, I have to say you both surprised me a little. You both are much more outgoing & crazy IRL than I would have expected. Loved getting to meet all 3 of you!!! Carrie, glad we could hang out again this year. Andrea, it wasn't the same without you there, our prayers are with you. Tracy, glad I found you booth this year, I even walked by more than once!! Lori, Dawn, Brian glad we could all do dinner & desert.

I was really excited that Kitty Foster & Wendy McKeehan were at CHA signing their new book Fabulous Friendships. I was LUCKY enough to have 2 layouts in the book. It was one of the main highlights of the show for me this year.

New Playlist

2008-07-13T21:40:00.003-04:00

A big thanks to Renee' for having a playlist on her blog. I listened to it MANY times over the last couple of weeks when scrappin' for CHA. I had my daughter Victoria create my own tonight. A lot of Renee's songs ended up on my list too.

I decided to participate in a scraplift challenge over at A Cherry On Top. Here is my entry, love this picture of Maddie & the inspiration for my sketch.

More Scrappin' News & a contest to win Prizes

2008-07-07T16:24:00.005-04:00

With the big push for CHA, I forgot to post about a couple of other scrap happening. First of all, I had 3 layouts published in the July issue of Scrapbooking.com magazine. You can click on the links to see my work. http://scrapbooking.com/article/41567 & http://scrapbooking.com/cgi-bin/Phase_2/layout.pl?serial=41439I also was lucky enough to have a layout in the July issue of Scrapstreet Online Magazine. Again, just click on the link to see my work. http://www.scrapstreet.com/mag08/july0808/fixtures/chic.htm

Okay, now onto the contest. There is a contest at Sketchabilities this month and the prize is some goodies from our sponsor Create My Keepsake. All you have to do is use the sketch and link you layout to the Sketchabilities web-site. Easy.....so what are you waiting for???? You can also see what the design team came up with using the same sketch. Here is the link: http://sketchabilities.wordpress.com/

What else? More Scrappin' Sports projects

2008-07-05T21:18:00.002-04:00

I spent another day playing with the new releases from SS&M today. It's amazing all the different things you can create with these papers.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-05T01:03:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. Mark decided to take the kids to the cottage, so I was able to do some scrappin' today. I completed 4 layouts & a journal today. Still can't finish the altered box & frame I started....can't seem to find the right combination. Maybe tomorrow :)

More Scrappin'

2008-07-03T23:30:00.002-04:00

With CHA coming in a couple of weeks, we are nearing our deadline for getting layouts done. Here are a few more I completed with the new releases. Okay...off to finish some more projects!

Scrappin' Sports & More

2008-07-01T17:17:00.002-04:00

I've been working with the new product this weekend and have a couple more layouts to share. This is more scrappin' then I've been able to do in weeks, so I'm really enjoying it! Got a couple more projects almost complete that I hope to share soon.

I'm Back

2008-06-28T16:48:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since I last updated my blog. Having your main computer crash puts you really behind! Since my last entry we have been busy. Madalyn & Victoria both celebrated birthdays. Alex spent a wonderful week with the Deer boys. We enjoyed our first weekend at the cottage. I took Madalyn's troop horse back riding, which she absolutely loved!! Today we even made it to the pool, we were one of the few families this morning as the kids kept having to get out due to thunder & rain. But the adults sat in the shelter, drinks in hand, and had a good time.

This is such an exciting time...the new releases made it to the store this week and I have been able to play a little bit. I had not scrapped in two weeks and then did 4 layouts & 1 card in two days (that's really good for me :) Hoping to work on a few more things this weekend. I can't believe CHA is only a couple of weeks away. Woo Hoo, cannot wait to be there. The downside...the summer is FLYING by...in just about 6 weeks we will be back at school.

June 15th Sketch

2008-06-16T19:24:00.007-04:00

The June15th Sketch is loaded at Sketchabilities....check out the great designs the team came up with this month. Keep an eye out in July, there will be a contest you could win!! Here is my sketch:

She Made the A Team Again!!! & Last Day of School

2008-06-11T16:07:00.002-04:00

Well, after a week of waiting we got the congratulations email today stating that Victoria is on the A soccer team again. She is floating around somewhere in the clouds today!

Finally...the last day of school. With that brought some recognitions...Victoria and only one other person in her class made the all A honor roll for all 4 quarters, Victoria scored 4th in National Geography Challenge they participated in (pretty good considering it's her least favorite subject), band award, she scored in the 95% for the mile run....all around a good day for her. Alex and Madalyn did well too. Alex ended up with all A, except one B+ for the year and Madalyn was all A's and 2 B's and also scored in the 95% for her age in the mile run.....so with a little summer review, they will be all set for next year :)

CHA New Release-Scrappin' Sports & More

2008-06-10T16:13:00.002-04:00

I am so excited for the 4 new releases from Scrappin' Sports & More for summer CHA. These pages & coordinating cardstock stickers are AMAZING!!!!! The new themes include Young & Active seasons..Spring(kites, garden, rain), Summer (butterflies, daisy, fireflies, frozen treats, summer camp, watermelon, strawberries), Fall (leaves, pumpkin, harvest), Winter (snowmen, hot chocolate, snow angles); a fresh new girls sports line (fun new colors with Glitter!!); a new defining school line (preschool-senior, bold & bright) and a classic sports line with a twist (reflections...truly AMAZING). If you can't wait to see them yourself, click on this link, you won't be disappointed!

http://scrappinsports.biz/Summer2008/CHASummer/Summer08.html

The new product should be available in stores the first part of July, so start your wish lists today!!!!

On another note, I made this collage of pictures for one of the girls on Victoria's soccer team who is moving this summer. It wouldn't all fit on my scanner, and I left it in the glass, but you get the idea. It is a 16x12 picture frame. I put the girls name in white before printing the pictures. Hope she likes it!! Victoria wants one for her room, so I need to get to Hobby Lobby this week while the frames on half off.

Another Busy Weekend

2008-06-09T07:58:00.003-04:00

Where do the days go??? On Friday, the girls and I, headed down to NB to see my niece at her dance recital. We stayed a little late to visit, which was good, because if we hadn't we would have come back to town just in time for the tornado sirens to be set off. Luckily no major damage in town and the one tornado that "touched down" at the airport was unconfirmed. Still a bit scary to have them go off two weeks in a row.

It was a BIG day for Victoria on Friday. Mark and I gave her an early birthday present, a cell phone with unlimited text, it is also a MP3 player. She sent several hundred this weekend already!!! The good thing for us....she does anything we ask without complaint, she doesn't want to loose that phone for even a day.

Saturday was a bit more laid back. Mark and Alex had a cub scout car wash. Victoria went along, but spent the entire time texting me! After that, it was off to the pool for a couple of hours. Then, Mark & I, went out to eat with friends. A new Indian restaurant opened in town and Mark was dying to try it out. He ordered goat!!! No way am I eating goat.

Sunday, Mark & Victoria served at 10:00 mass then we all went out to eat. Afterwards we headed up to the Cathedral in Toledo, where Maddie received her Family of God award (girl scouts). It was HOT, MUGGY....so Mark took the kids off to the pool and I spent a couple of hours at home scrapbooking. Yeah :)

Almost forgot...I got the latest issue of Stamping, Stationery & Scrapbooking in the mail on Saturday. They published a soccer layout that I created for Scrappin' Sports & More. The original request was for 3 of my layouts, but only 1 made the final cut :(

The End of the Season

2008-06-02T11:57:00.002-04:00

Well, soccer is finally over for Victoria. She finished last night in a 4-0 win. They started their season with 2 league losses, followed by 8 league wins & two Championship trophies in the tournaments they entered. All together, they were 17-2. A great season!!

I just saw yesterday that the June on-line magazine at Scrapbooking.com is now available. I had two items in this issue, one card and one layout, both using Scrappin' Sports & More papers. Another DT member for Scrappin' Sports, Tracy, had 3 baseball layouts in this magazine issue. GO SS&M!!! You can it out here: http://scrapbooking.com/article/41349

May 31st Sketchabilities

2008-06-01T10:11:00.003-04:00

Here is my take on the May 31st sketch at Sketch-abilites. It really had me thinking for awhile, but I finally decided to simplify the sketch to meet my layout. I guess that's what it's all about. These are pictures from Victoria's first time babysitting. We had Nolan Deer at our house for a few hours, he was only a couple of months old, and oh so cute :) I had to fight her to hold him, just so she could eat her dinner. As you can see, she didn't even put him down for his nap. You can check out the other interpretations online at http://sketchabilities.wordpress.com/

On another note, today is the last soccer game until September. Victoria is a bit bummed, she has thoroughly enjoyed being part of this team. They had a great season and as of today are 7-2-0 in their league, with 2 tournament championships!! She scored again in yesterdays game, but no picture. The ref was talking to me making sure I wasn't going to "coach" the girls from the end of the field and two seconds lately she dinked one in and I missed the shot (with the camera, I did get to see the goal.) Maybe today will be my lucky day :)

On another note, we decided to join the Lakeview pool today. It's not the cheapest summer fun, but all their friends are members and with our neighbors gone :( we need some playmates. So, even though I am not a pool person, I guess I'll be spending a lot of time there this summer. Hope you all have a great Sunday! Spend some time with your family today :)

Too busy to blog :)

2008-05-30T07:31:00.003-04:00

This past week has just flown by for me. We left right after school last Friday for South Bend, IN where Victoria played in a soccer tournament. She played two games Saturday, two games Sunday & the championship game on Monday. Her team ended up 5-0-0, outscoring their opponents 15-2. It really should have been 15-0 as the team that scored were blatantly off-sides with no calls. The refs at some of the games were not the best! We had one lady, who called everything the other coach yelled at her. She subbed in players at the wrong time. Her worst call was when one of the players on the other team went down in the box. After the girl left the field she did a drop ball right in front of our goal. Let's just say, she probably won't be a ref for too long. Victoria did score two goals and had a blast with her friends. She had a game last night, which they won, and two more this weekend. Then soccer is over until the fall, she is really bummed about it. Hopefully, we'll make the A team again next year! Try-outs are next week, so we should know soon.

We did make a quick trip to the Notre Dame campus while we were in town. That's us, the wee little people in front of the dome. Mark, Alex and Maddie also took a quick trip to the zoo on Saturday. All in all, it was a great weekend, just a long one. We stopped off in Michigan to say hello to my parents on Monday, so it was 6:00 before we got back to Findlay.

Today, we are heading for Kalahari water park right after school lets out. Victoria's girl scout troop is going, so Mark and the kids decided to come along too. They've expanded since the last time we were there, so it should be lots of fun!

My New Toy :)

2008-05-19T21:47:00.002-04:00

Mark decided to upgrade our camera, so he bought me the Canon EOS 40D SLR Digital Camera. He also bought a Tamron lens with vibration compensation, so hopefully I won't get blurred images. The camera has gotten Excellent reviews by both professionals and hobbyists. I'm hoping it's gonna help me get those perfect sports photos. It can shoot 6.5 frames per second, so as long as I'm not cheering and remember to lift the camera, I just may get Victoria kicking in a goal. I cannot wait to try it out this weekend at tournaments!

A couple more things to share

2008-05-15T17:39:00.003-04:00

Today was the reveal of the first sketch the design team did at Sketch-abilities. If you have a chance go check it out. The sketches really make you think outside the box. Lots of Fun! I also created another layout for SSM Design Team. I wanted to do something special to highlight Madalyn's First Communion. I used the amazing new Defining Prom paper...if you don't have it you'll want to get it, so versatile, so very cool!

SSM Design Team Layout

2008-05-14T19:59:00.002-04:00

One of our challenges this month for the Scrappin' Sports Design Team was to participate in the Page Maps 2nd anniversary challenge. Here is my take using the brand new, fabulous, defining dance and recital papers. Okay...back to work :)

Soccer is taking over my life :)

2008-05-13T21:18:00.002-04:00

I don't think I've done much this last week, besides watch soccer. Victoria had 4 practices last week and two games. Alex and Madalyn both 2 practices each and one game. Doesn't leave time for much else it seems. Alex and Madalyn both lost their games, but Victoria's team won another league game on Saturday. On Sunday morning at 8:00 am, Victoria played in a tournament in Sidney. It had rained several inches between Friday and Sunday and the fields were a mess! There was no grass in the goalie box at all. She had mud EVERYWHERE...her face, hair, legs, shoes, shin pads, jersey...you name it...it was muddy. She thought it was GREAT! Here team was robbed of a couple of goals, because the ball made a dead stop at the goal line in the mud.

Madalyn and I did spend Friday night with the 14 other girls in her troop at the Holiday Inn for a pizza/swim party. This was one of the two things the girls voted to spend their cookie money on...the other....horse back riding....need to plan that for this summer.

Didn't get to spend too much time scrappin this past week. I did complete a card and a layout for Sketch-abilities ( will be posted on the 15th) and have two projects on my desk for Scrappin' Sports...just waiting for the finishing touches. Guess I should get busy :)

Page Plans Weekly Sketch

2008-05-05T14:22:00.004-04:00

I finally had time to try out Page Plans sketch of the week. If you haven't been to their site, you should check them out...lots of fun inspiration over there. Here is my take...pictures from the Father Daughter Dance earlier this year.

NSD-Sketchabilities Sketch

2008-05-04T19:41:00.002-04:00

I didn't get much scrappin' done this weekend, but I was able to complete this layout with the fun sketch at sketchabilities. When I first saw the sketch, I immediately thought it looked like sunshine. So I found a couple of fun pictures of Madalyn and went to town.

Special Day

2008-05-03T17:30:00.003-04:00

Today Madalyn celebrated First Holy Communion. I have always been so impressed with the great job they do at St. Michael's. Every student has a part in the service, as well as the processional. Madalyn was chosen as part of the One Bread One Body celebration. She would hold up the box with all the students prayers for First Communion, during the "And we though many, through out the earth" part of the song. They do the refrain 4 times, so they slowly make their way up the center isle. It is really an honor to be chosen. They also have the second grade re-do "First" Communion at Friday's all school mass. It's great because they are a little less nervous the second time around. Anyway, it was a great day, spent with family and my dear friend Katherine.

National Scrapbook Day Sketch Contest

2008-05-02T14:38:00.002-04:00

Check out this fun new sketch over at Sketch-abilities.com. Link your layout to the web-site and you could win some goodies. The contest is over Sunday at mid-night. Can't wait to see all the layouts.

Happy Day!

2008-05-01T15:16:00.002-04:00

I have been so happy today as I found out I am going to be a member of the Design Team of Sketch-abilities. There were some amazing entries, so I was extremely proud to be picked. For those of you who know me, I am a big sketch fan. These are not your ordinary sketches, but fresh, funky and fun. There will be two new sketches each month. I can't wait to receive the email with our first official sketch. Check out the site and play with us as the site grows.
http://sketchabilities.wordpress.com/

SSM Design Team Work

2008-04-30T09:25:00.005-04:00

Here are my latest projects for the SSM design team. I am still working on the mini school books (3x3) and need to decorate the box that they fit into, but hoping to finish that up later today. Since my kiddos aren't that old, the bottom six books are empty. They were harder to do that I thought, because you can't use anything but paper, stickers & rub-ons or they don't close. Hope you like them. Okay, back to work :)