52 Week Swap - Round One - Complete!!

Below are pictures of items from the swap. A few of mine look different here than what you receive - if I messed up (yep, I did that), I kept the bad one, however, I should have taken pics before I sent these off. Oh well, you have the basic idea.

Everyone who remembered two layers, two embellishments (unless otherwise indicated), and followed size guidelines did a fantastic job!! I know there are a lot of guidelines, but it is just to try and get similar quality items. This is a swap I will be happy to use in my books.

To the ladies who did three dimensional flowers - would you be interested in teaching an online class? If so, let me know via email and I will go over details with you.

Sorry pictures aren't better, but you can get a good idea of how things are from them.

I love the different takes we all had on different items. The results are wonderful.

Christmas Tag

This is my take on the Day 5 Tag from this year's Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas.

Of all the products he used, I only had some stickles, but they weren't the same ones, but oh well - love to try new things - so here is what I did:

Plain tag I messed up the stamped image - use the back side :) No waste that way


Next, I don't have the dabber paints he is using, so here goes with the imprintz white inkpad




I don't have the ink blending tool either, so used my two red inkpads and put the ink on with a foam brush (edges aren't quite right - I also added a burgundy and went back over the edges with white)
Instead of the mini-mister (another tool not around here), I used some paint and paintbrush flicking technique

Next - stamp a Santa Image and some Holly Leaves. However, since I don't own holly leaves, I used something that kind of looks like pine boughs
Next - distress stickles in green. No distress, but I do have green :) Heat set with embossing gun -- wait a minute - heating the stickles makes them bubble :) - unique effect, but just something to know about. It takes longer than I expected too. I think I liked them better before the heat - but it is unique look (unique smell too LOL)

Rub paint on image and dry - I just used my white ink pad and what are evidently very large fingers LOL

Next - a Merry Christmas Stamp (Yuletide Greetings) and higlighting with white ink pen (I used my gold smooch ink instead) I also added some gold to the top where there where 'holes'

Next a diecut with grungepaper. No die or grungepaper. So - started with a 1 1/2" tall x 2 1/2 " wide scrap of green paper. cut out a similar shape and ink the edges. I just thought - cricut may have a shape, or a rectangle and circle - lots of choices - but using what is quick and easy right now :)

Next - music paper from my stash (ink the edges) is added to the diecut shape and adhere to your tag (I did alter my shape a bit more)
Next a 2 and a 5 - I don't have metal letters or utee, so first I cut some Alphalicious letters with the Cricut (1 1/2 "). Then inked and embossed. I used some Christmas green tinsel glitter embossing powder that I don't really like for a lot of things, but in this case - I do :) I put two layers of embossing powder on each number. Then I inked the edges a bit with brown. Not a vintage porcelain look, but I like what I have. (however, next time, I plan on 1.25" letters - they are a bit big). I attached my letters with pop dots behind and brads to try for a more raised look.

Next - three colors of foliage. I used some chipboard piece, a silk flower, a punched star piece of scrap and an ornament charm for mine. Placement is also different, but my greeting takes more space. (Yes, I should look at goal before just starting ROFL :) :)

Add some ribbon - then he had jingle bells - I am out, so used one sheer and one printed ribbon instead and the fluff to santa. I used cotton rather than the paint stuff he shows. Also added some red stickles to his hat. Corner is just plain :) If I had a jingle bell or something, I may add, but just leaving for now

One last photo - I just couldn't leave the upper left corner plain and noticed there were holly leaves in later photos - added some stickles in green, but probably won't use heat gun - not sure yet.

Great Give-away

over at Scrapbooking Fun.

If you complete the seven days, you get entered into a drawing for a wonderful Stamping kit (stampin up brand, maybe?)



Anyway - just register with the site and follow what it says. It would be great to "see" you.

Peanut Update

Peanut is a nice little heifer these days. She is growing well and likes other cows, though still hangs out with her buddy, Waffles, the donkey, quite often.


Izzy and Iko are coming along quite well too. They have nice, thick coats for winter and will be spending their time in the pen with the rest of the ewe lambs.


Ds completed a shearing school out at NDSU this past weekend - he plans to work shearing for others to be a way to help increase his cash flow for his sheep project.


Still having fun scrapping - below is a picture of an ornament I made with a borrowed Sizzix die, grungeboard, copic markers, liquid crystal, and just had some fun.

Finished up a swap

The first one I have participated in over at the Cricut message board. Had a lot of fun creating. A few of the winter pieces are in the post below this one.

The fall/Thanksgiving were fun. My extra piece is the little squirrel. I do enjoy googly eyes.




The Birthday Boy set was fun, but I think I would end up spreading out the items over two or three pages since I tend to take a lot of pictures. But, below is a sample layout anyway. I didn't include sticker pics as they are the extra with this set.

Making Pages at Cricut

Issues with the Cricut message board, so just in case anyone stops by - working to complete pieces swap.

A few parts from the winter group:

Scrapbook Swaps

Right now, I am looking for a few more participants in some open swaps over at Scrapbooking Fun

If you are interested - register and sign up. The paper line for Imaginesce Apple Cider is beautiful and so much fun to touch!

If you want to create a swap that is not paper based - check out the anything but paper swap.

If you want some fun Christmas embellishments, check out the Christmas Kit swap.

Note: If you are new to the site or swapping, you may be limited on participation. If you do a lot of swapping, please be sure and let us know which site and then you should be allowed to sign up for more than one.

Thanks!

Free Online class

I am teaching an online class over at Scrapbooking Fun on Monday 9/13. It is a basic notepad - the type you hang on a refrigerator.



If you are interested or would like to attend - check the details and supply lists over at Scrapbooking Fun. You need to become a member of the site to participate in the free monthly classes.

Above is a photo of the project. I did not create this project on my own or anything. I found it at a craft store and thought the notepads really looked fun and useful and could even be added to gift baskets with appropriately themed paper.

Great Blog Candy!!

Looking through blog links and found a great blog candy giveaway over at Scrap'n for Fun. You can find the information HERE

Also - anyone into scrapbook swaps, I will be setting up a rather challenging 52 week swap on several boards. No, you don't mail weekly, but every other month you will need to mail items. You can sign up for one week, two weeks, every week, every month, whatever. Nothing too hard, but should be lots and lots of fun. Right now I am looking at listing on the Cricut board, Scrapbooking Fun.Biz board, Sketches 4 All Board and maybe one or two more. Limit of 9 participants per week to keep things moving. More info by September 1 :)

Some scrappy file folders from old swaps that I have created.

It has been a while

since my last posting, but things have been flying. Another short trip coming up for dd and myself. Should be a lot of fun. Not a typical shopping and sight seeing, but camping and the great outdoors.

If you have some time to do some surfin' ran across this fun blog with wonderful candy this morning over at LiFe AnD tImEs of A 12x12 ADdiCt

Putting together a new swap group, using microscope slides as a base over at Scrapbooking Fun.Biz. Come join in the fun if you enjoy swaps. Check out the Day 2 Day section if you are looking for some simple challenges. This great group of ladies just finished up an 11 day scrapbooking challenge. Wow are some of these women talented! I wish I had more time, but with Day Camp in the midst of the challenge and temps near 100 for most of that time, I just didn't have the energy to complete anymore. However, I do have a pile of items on my table to finish putting together when there it time. Too bad non-adhered layouts don't count. LOL

Speaking of Challenges - have you visited Sketches 4 All yet? There are a ton of really fun (and challenging) things going on over there and some of the gallery items are really rockin!

I have a few layouts posted at the sites mentioned above, so just sharing some fun type photos. The kids have been very busy this summer - below are a few pictures either they or their friends have taken from around the United States.





For those of you who know us, we do have a lot of pictures of each flying item at the Air and Space Museum and at the AFB another boy visited. Boys went to different sides of the country and guess what I have the most pictures of? Just makes me smile - and I am getting better at scrapping various airplanes, rockets, helicopters, missles, etc..







Why a photo of the Tick Habitat sign - we just had to laugh. After living in this area, it is easy to forget that looking for ticks each night was not a common/daily practice when we first moved up. However, this sign just made the boys smile and reminded them of home.

Check out this fun giveaway

Head on over to Stacy's blog HERE and look at all the wonderful Tim Holtz products she is giving away this month!!! Hope I win :)

Another Sketch

Just completed another sketch challenge for Brenda's group over at Sketches for All.

Here is her original challenge sketch:

I really liked the simple lines and ability to focus in on a single photo, however, when looking through my page kits (kits of paper/photos/embellies I want on a page), I found photos that just seemed to fit better than my thought of a single, larger photograph. I am not sure why the photo looks as it does - however, you can see the whole sketch over at Sketches 4 All.

Below are my results:


The papers are from DCWV Rock Star Stack, the music note stickers are very, very old - I cannot remember when I purchased them, but they are me & my Big ideas stickers, the flocking is from a rub-on flocking kit by We Are Memory Keepers and the letters were all cut from the Alphalious Cricut Cartidge (top ones are Short Stack, lower ones are standard). Brads are from Around the Block and another I can't remember and the flower, I think, is Heidi Grace. Best part - everything came from my stash and the layout was a blast to pull together.

For those who know me, you know that the back piece of paper has a rather large hole in the center - that is what I used to cut my letters out for the titles. Black scrap served for other accents - same with photo mat - it is a scrap from a My Mind's Eye Laundry Line swap I recently completed. Love using stash products. Everything was pretty much "leftovers."

Found some Thyme

Time to surf that is and came across this fun blog called Sketches in thyme. They have a challenge going right now, using this sketch:



The wonderful sketch above was designed by a very talented woman, named Monma, and you can find her blog and absolutely beautiful work at her Blog .

Anyway - my results are a bit different, definitely more masculine, but I am pleased.



I used Basic Grey's Max and Whiskers line, Cricut Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge, AC Cardstock, and other stash items (like the Cabela's lure spinner thing, assorted scraps and journal note card, which, when lifted, reveals journaling underneath).

All in all - a really fun project. Hardest part for me, once I chose a picture, how to adhere everything so I can put the final copy of the photo down. This one didn't come out right, so I have ordered a replacement.