This picture was taken on Easter 2003. It was a beautiful day. It was the first time in my life I WANTED to be in front for a picture! I had my gastric bypass surgery in July of 2002, and I was happy enough with the way I looked to WANT to be up front in a picture.
When we arrived at the restaurant that afternoon for our dinner, my grandfather walked right past me. He didn't even recognize me. I had lost over 165 pounds by this time, and he didn't even know me. He kept asking where I was, because he could see my car. Every time I talked he looked surprised to hear my voice coming out of this person he didn't know.
It was a great day with almost all of our family present. Even two of our close family friends were there. It is hard to believe that 6 years later, my grandmother and our family friend, Lloyd have both passed on to heaven. I miss them both so much, but I treasure my memories and pictures.
For this layout, I used a bunch of scraps of paper from my scraps folder. I have no idea of all the paper manufacturers used. The ribbons are from Top Line Creations (no longer in business), and Walmart. The background paper is from Die Cuts with A View (DCWV) - Neutrals Stack. The photo mat is a scrap of paper, but I think it was also DCWV. The stitching on the border is real. I ran the layout through my sewing machine when I had it all in place. I inked everything with chalk inks in brown and olive.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Easter 2003 Layout
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Lassen Layout
The patterned papers are from We R Memory Keepers. The solid cardstock is from Die Cuts with a View. The buttons are from my great-granny and granny's button boxes. The butterfly stickers are from K & Company. The letters are Thickers chalked with a Cat's Eye in lime green. The chipboard/matboard pieces are from various sources.
All of these photos were taken at Lassen Volcanic National Park near Shingletown, California. My "hometown" so to speak. We took the kids there during their first official stay with us in California. There was snow on the ground still near King Creek. The photos overlooking the mountain ranger were taken at over 8,000 ft. above sea level.
I hope you enjoy these layouts!
New Layouts
I have been working on more layouts for "Use-It-Up Challenges" we have been having on my scrapbook lists.
This first set is of my two step-children, Sydney & Noah. The picture of them together was taken at our local Walmart Photo Studio. They lady we had taking our pictures was great. As I scrap more of them you will see what I mean. She allowed us to take some great pictures that were definately, "outside-the-box" for a small photo place. We got a bunch of great pictures for under $50. I call that a super duper bargain!
The pictures in the park were taken by my extremely talented brother-in-law. I simply love both of those pictures of the kids. The umbrella photo of Noah was so spontaneous.
This layout is of my mom's dog, Mina. (pronounced Men-ah). Mina means little one in German, and when we got her she was the smallest puppy in the litter. Back in 1997, I took a road trip home from Texas to California (long story there), and when traveling through Nevada (I think), we found this town called Mina. It was 3 a.m., but my friends and I stopped and snapped a picture of this sign. I think the population was 40 poeple LOL. We joked that we were going to be shot standing out in the middle of no-where taking pictures of their town sign.
This wasn't the only sign we photographed on that trip. We found a city named Joseph City. One of my friends was Joe, so we took his picture next to the sign. It was actually a fun adventure. I am not sure I enjoyed it as much as I should have then, but the memories now are great.
This last layout set is of Noah at his graduation party in Missouri. Noah was accepted to KU (Kansas University) -- Go BLUE! The first set of pictures is of him opening his gifts, and the second page is one of the best pictures I have of him and his dad. They were both so happy there. That is another great memory for us. We were both so proud of Noah that day. He has grown into an amazing young man. I am so very proud of him and the person he has become.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Super Star
This is a layout I just completed today. "Super Stars" We had such fun having those pictures taken! It was a great day. Can you believe that great shot was taken at a Walmart Photo Center?!?! The lady who did our pictures was a great sport, and we got some amazing pictures!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Supply Stockpiling
I saw this article on another website :OrganizedScrapbooks.com. I found it very interesting, and I wanted to share. Credit goes to their user rockester.
Did You Know? A Word About Stockpiling Scrapbook Supplies
Submitted by rockester on May 20, 2005 - 22:00
* get organized
Did you know that an inch of pattern paper is estimated to be 100 sheets or 75 finished pages?
Did you know that one inch of cardstock is roughly 50 pages finished? How many inches do YOU have? How many pages do you do a year?
Do you have over 12 inches (1 foot) of cardstock or printed paper? Do you realise that is enough paper for 1000 pages? Are you stockpiling for someday when you already own enough paper to do thousands of pages?
Did you know that one tin/set of 100 eyelets makes and average of 20 pages? (And how many sets of 100 do YOU own?)
Did you know that many paper packs and multi sheet slabs usually have 10-20% of their patterns that will not suit you within a pack? (one sheet in 5 may not be to your taste so don't keep it in the stash--share!)
Did you know that each sticker sheet you own will do aproximately a two page layout? If you have binder full of stickers it will equal about 300 pages to use them up?
Did you know that each yard of fiber you own will make 1-2 pages? If you own a skein of knitting yarn, they contain between 100-200 yards of fiber? At that rate it will take you 100-200 pages of JUST THAT SKEIN to use up that yarn ball on layout pages? (SHARE!!)
Did you know that the average gel and writer pen ink longevity INSIDE a pen is one year before it is generally dry or unusable? (Use them up before they DRY up!)
Did you know that playing music when you scrapbook helps your creativity and productivity?
Did you know that starting with a format saves you 20 minutes PER PAGE?
Did you know there are about 500 free sketches online? Watch our links for sites. If you can't find those free ones online to print and refer to, or need ideas for crop parties, get Becky Higgins Creative Sketches book and also her Creative Companion book. Sketches are simply awesome for versatile formats of layouts.
Did you know that shopping once a week at the scrapbook store costs most scrappers an average of $25.00 each trip? (And most of those have enough items at home already to make 1000's of pages.) $25.00 times 52 weeks a year means $ 1300 spent per year.
Did you know that sticker letters cost an average of $3-$5 dollars a sheet now? Buy black so that later you can mix and match later your partial sheets for 'mixed font' titles. It will save you at least a dollar a sheet to BUY BLACK! Why? Because you will eventually get more many titles per sheet that way!
Did you know that one ABC sticker sheet usually makes only two titles before is is 'cast off' by most scrapbookers? Over half the stickers are then wasting away in binders or storage and cloggin up precious storage
space--never to be used again.
Did you know that people will pay $1 each for two punched flowers and a brad or pop dot? (Think Jolees, K and Co, and Paper Bliss) Do it
yourself for a fraction of that. It takes only pennies to make a stacked flower from your scraps and chalk the outside petals..... I know you have scraps and brads, eyelets or pop dots! LOL Pay yourself about $20 to $40 an hour and make a few dozen sets instead of buying them.
Did you know that stamping your own twill ribbon with phrases saves you $2.00 a yard? How many premade ribbon yards do you have that you need to use up? Wording ribbon usually works out to 1 foot per page. If you have a stockpile of 20 yards of worded ribbons of all kinds, that means you better get cracking and make 60 pages before you buy more!!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Blog Candy!
My friend, Jenn, is offering her very first BLOG CANDY!!!
Go check out her blog iscrapmemories . Read through her blog and check it out. Leave her a comment, and then link her blog to yours! Isn't that easy?? You could win $25 (min value) in wonderful scrapping supplies.
Trust me, Jenn has GREAT stuff in her stash!!!
Remember to check out her blog at iscrapmemories!!!!
Enjoy and GOOD LUCK!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Muir Beach Layout
These pages are of the first time my in-laws had went to the Pacific Ocean. I took them on a day trip to San Francisco. We toured around the city, and all of the famous landmarks, but they really wanted to see the beach as opposed to the SF Bay. We drove out to Muir Beach (1/2 hour or so out of SF), and we all got out and played in the ocean. It is almost impossible to read the journaling on the page, but it was almost word for word what they said. If you look from right to left, they start out tentatively wading in the water, and then they finally get out there a little way. (I did this because of the journaling). The last photo is of them running back up to the beach. A big wave came up and almost knocked them over. They were laughing so hard at the "feeling" of the waves and my MIL said, "Big, big, big wave. Big wave chase me." (Which is what the journaling strips say). My husband and I couldn't stop laughing.
I don't know if any of you have seen the movie with John Candy, "The Great Outdoors", where he runs in the cabin being chased by the bear. He says, "Big, big, big bear. Big bear chase me." Anyway the humor for us was in the journaling. I used real sea shells that we collected on the beach that day for the actual page accents. I cleaned them well in the sink and sprayed them with Archival Mist.
I really like the simplicity of this challenge layout, and the use of the white space on the pages. Thanks for looking!
OMG! I won a BLOG CANDY!
Okay so now I cannot stop dancing around the house because I won a wonderful blog candy from scentmycards! This stuff is amazing (so I hear). I have wanted to try it, and all of the ladies on my card making blogs just swear by it! I am so excited!!!!
Check out www.scentmycards.com ! Their card scents are on sale right now!! Sales are always good!!
I can't wait to make new cards that have great smells!!
~happy dance~
Thank you again, Cindy!!!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Can you Stand even MORE blog candy?
Love scented cards?
Well you are in luck! There are TWO yes, TWO chances to win TWO bottles of card scents from ScentMyCards.com??
How you ask?
Well first go visit Dawn's Frogaritaville here:
Read the instructions on the blog and leave her a comment that I sent you over and then link to her blog on your blog.
Then boogie on over to Cindy E's blog here::
If you enter and link both blogs you get TWO chances to win TWO bottles! FUN, FUN, FUN!
Thank you Cindy & Dawn for this great blog candy!
Blog Candy!
Wow, a friend from my Bella List has an amazing blog candy offer on her blog. She just made 20,000 hits on her blog, and she wants to celebrate in STYLE!
Go check out her blog, and her amazing offer of some wonderful blog candy! Who knows? You may win!
The only catch is you have to share with me!!! HAHAHAHA! Can you tell I would LOVE to win her amazing package offer?
Go visit lori at: scrapinglori.blogspot.com
Share her blog with your friends, too! Who knows. We may help her get to 30,000 blog hits!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Ribbon Tying Trick
I read this today on another list. I found it funny because that is exactly what I did to apply the ribbons on the Ruger I love you layouts.
Ribbon Tip:
As a bonus here one of my favorite ribbon tips. Make the perfect ribbon knot by tying your ribbon around a spare brad. Decide where you want your knot (or bow) and attach brad through ribbon and paper. This give you leverage to tie the ribbon and makes a really pretty end product. Use any old brad too - especially ones you don't care for especially - the color will be hidden under the ribbon!
It makes bows quick and easy, and you have a simple way to attach them to your page.
Monday, March 02, 2009
{Ruger & Noah -- I love you}
This was a glitter/bling challenge for March on my group list.
This is my beloved dog, Ruger, and my step-son, Noah. They bonded quickly, and Ruger was Noah's protector.
More Layouts!
This layout is done on a transportation or car them, and again it is for a challenge. I has a great time finding some good pictures of my first two trucks. The 76 Chevy my dad bought when I was 13, and I always called it my truck. He always teased me and said "yes" when you get your license!
My second truck, the 1955 A Series Chevy was purchased a year later for me when I was 14. It was exactly the kind of truck I had dreamed of! I was so excited that dad let me take my savings and spend it on this beautiful piece of Detroit metal!
Are you surprised to know that I still have BOTH of those vehicles today! My two first trucks are still mine, and they still run. Both do need a little work and TLC. Their age is starting to show again!
I have been trying to get a lot of layouts down, and also get a jump start as we move into some new challenges for March:
This layout is about my best friend, Eddie -- He is a great guy. The 1982 picture was taken before we left for my Junior Prom. He was the best date, and we had a wonderful time. The 1989 picture is from my wedding to my now ex-husband. Eddie stood up with me that day, and it meant the world to me. He also had the honor of walking my mother down the aisle.
We have been friends since I was 12, and he was 14. We may be miles apart and not talk for days, months, and sometimes years, but we pick right back up where we left off. I know if I need him, he will never be more than a phone call away.
The cute little guy in the second picture is Eddie's son Zach. I often got told that he looked exactly like me whenever we were out in public. That was always a hard one to explain to people. They just would never believe he wasn't my son. He is a grown man now! Wow, those pictures are dated!
This is page two of that layout. Here he is pictured with his son, Zach.
And an attempt to get a nice overhead view of the two pages together.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
BLOG CANDY WINNER!!
This is really a LUCKY day for Suzanne! She won another drawing on one of the scrappin' boards I belong to! She better go buy LOTTO tix tonight!
Suzanne, there is a big ol' envie of goodies on its way to you VERY very soon!
I hope you like it!
Thank you all for entering. There will be more blog candy to come in the not too distant future. Please bookmark my blog and keep coming back~
Scrappers ROCK!!!
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