Four Wise Guys

Origami Tree Card and Tutorial

2012-01-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday, everyone! A few weeks ago I shared a layout that included an Origami tree. There was a lot of interest in how I made the tree, so I created a tutorial for the A Walk Down Memory Lane blog. Just click HERE to see it. It's so easy!

Here's the card that I made for the tutorial:

The "snow" on the card is just Liquid Applique! All you do is squeeze it onto the card and blast it for a few seconds with you heat gun. It puffs right up and looks just like snow! (Thanks to my super talented friend Christa Uttley for that hint!)

By, the way, there is a DT Call going on right now until February 10th! You should check it out-- it's a FABULOUS team to be on!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I'll have some more fun stuff to share with you soon!

Who doesn't love Petal Power?

2012-01-19T16:46:00.000-05:00

This layout is full of Petal Power-- and yummy Momenta goodness! I used an EK Success petal punch to create the fun circle background on this layout. You can see a tutorial on how to make it on the Momenta Blog! It's so easy and can be done with lots of different punches- espeically those great edge punches that we've been collecting!!

And, here's the whole layout! Aren't these papers beautiful? Almost as gorgeous as my girl....

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

Belle

2012-01-16T09:53:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone! I'm loving the new paper lines from Scrappin' Sports & More. I know that this one was meant for a "prom" theme, but since my kids are still to young to be thinking about proms yet, it made me think of a Disney princess! And, of course, the photo of us with Belle last year was still waiting to be scrapped. So, here it is! I love using my imagination and using the SS&M Papers for something "outside the box" of what they were intended for! I've got a few more swirling around my mind, too!

Products Used:
#1329- Girls Rule: Homecoming/Prom

Thanks so much for stopping by today! We can't wait to see what you do with the new collections!

My first Momenta Post!!

2012-01-12T10:05:00.001-05:00

Hi, everyone! I'm so excited to be sharing my first projects for the Momenta Design Team! I'm even more excited that I got to play with goodies from Glue Arts, too! This week we are doing a fabulous cross promotion with Glue Arts so you should check out the Momenta Blog for a chance to with some Glue Arts goodies!!

Both of my cards today use the super fun Kaleidoscope collection! I love the colors and designs in this line and can't wait to play more with it! For my first card, I punched 27 hearts and then stitched them together in stacks of three. The thick cardstock made each set of hearts quite heavy. So I was worried about using a tape runner for fear they would fall off the card. As soon as I put them on the card using the Glue Glider Pro, I knew they weren't going anywhere! The bond was instant and strong! I made this card several days ago and they are still just as strong as when I first adhered them. I've used a lot of tape runners, and I can tell you that this would not be the case for many of them!

For my next card, I tried a technique that I had tried before, but using the glue arts vellum adhesive, it was a whole different ballgame! This adhesive comes in a sheet and is intended for use with vellum and acrylic as it "disappears" when used so that it isn't seen through the clear embellishments. I wanted to use it for this because I would be able to cover the entire surface with adhesive easitly and it worked like a charm! I peeled it from it's backing, rubbed it onto the card's surface and then removed the protective covering to reveal the sticky surface (much like you would do with a rub-on). I then proceeded to adhere my 1/4" strips of paper in a batik design. Then, I used the U-Cut it 3-D Foam Adhesive to attach the card front to the base. The foam is nice and thick to give it lots of dimension!

I hope you've enjoyed my cards today! I know that I've really enjoyed playing with them!!

Glue Arts Products Used:

Glue Glider Pro Adhesive Applicator

Glue Glider Pro Permatac Adhesive Cartridge

U Cut It 3-D Foam Blanks

Vellum Adhesive

Momenta Prodcuts Used:

ST-4833 Kaleidoscope Sticker Kit

PK-2361 Kaleidoscope 12X12 Scrapbook Pad

Thanks for stopping by today!

Dear Santa....

2012-01-03T20:42:00.001-05:00

It's time to share another layout made with the Wonder collection from Authentique. Our sweet puppy, Duffy, looked a little too cute in front of the Christmas Tree. So, I decided to scrap his first Christmas with a letter to Santa. In the letter he explains that he's just a puppy and this is his first Christmas, so he's asking for forgiveness for the few naughty things he's done this year in the hopes that Santa would bring him a new bone!

Here's a closeup of the Christmas Tree adorned with some Pebbles Candy Dots (LOVE those things!).

I've been asked to do a tutorial on how to make that cool origami Christmas Tree. I'll be sharing that on the 19th, so be sure to check it out! Don't forget, all Authentique and Paper Smooches products are 25% off for the whole month at A Walk Down Memory Lane! Have fun!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back with more fun stuff to share in a few days!

Jaunary is Authentique month....

2012-01-01T12:52:00.001-05:00

...at A Walk Down Memory Lane!! We are featuring Authentiqe and Paper Smooches Stamps this month and that means YOU get to take advantage of a 25% discount all month on all instock products from these manufacturers!

I have been having a TON of fun with Authentique products and I LOVE the projects i've made. I know that all of the scrappy websites feature all of their Christmas goodies before Christmas. But, I for one, don't scrap Christmas layouts until after Christmas! I like to scrap the photos while the magic and memories are still fresh in my mind. The Wonder line was perfect for this layout and for preserving this fabulous memory.

This photo of my daughter opening her Kindle Fire from Santa makes me smile every time I see it!

Here's a close up of the ornaments. I don't have a die or a cricut cartridge to make these, so I used clip art that I found online to create a template in several different sizes to trace and cut out on my patterned paper. I added some stickles and some Best Creation glitter cardstock (best stuff EVER!) to finish my ornaments. Then, I "hung" them with some embroidery thread from my stash.

Here's a close up of the title work. I used some Lily Bee cardstock alphas (best alphas EVER) and added some Stickles to the black Thickers to "jazz" them up a bit.

I have more projects to share, but I'm going to make you come back to see those! Tee-hee! Thanks for stopping by today!

Super Exciting NEWS!

2011-12-25T19:41:00.002-05:00

I am super excited to announce that I have been invited to join the Momenta Design Team!!

I know that there was a HUGE pool of talented designers that applied, so I really feel honored to be chosen for the team.

Please take a moment to congratulate the rest of the team, too!

Andrea Budjack

Christa Uttley

Christine Meyer

Cristal (Pinky) Hobbs
Erin Morehouse

Jamie Cripps

Kazan Clark

Kristine Berc

Laurel Seabrook
Mara Campbell

Nicole Wise

Rochelle Washington
Sarabeth Burke
Savannah O'Gwynn

I'm so excited to get started and start sharing my Momenta Projects with you!! Thanks for stopping by today and sharing in my excitement! Merry Christmas!

Ornament Card Tutorial

2011-12-18T17:55:00.002-05:00

Here's the tutorial that I promised for the Ornament Card that I shared last night! It looks like a lot of steps, but honestly, if I hadn't stopped to take so many photos, I'd have had the whole thing done in about 20 minutes!

To make the card/box base, all you need is a score board, bone folder, scissors, double sided tape and two pieces of cardstock cut at 7 1/4" by 8 1/2" and 4 1/4" by 6 7/8".

Working with the larger piece of cardstock first, score at 1/2", 3/4", 1 1/4" and 1 1/2".

Rotate your paper clockwise and repeat the same four score lines.

Repeat this step two more times so that you have score lines on all four sides of the paper.

Now, work on the 7/14" edge of the paper and put a score line at 2" that goes from the edge of the paper only to the last score line. Repeat at 5 1/4". Flip paper and to the other 7 1/4" side, as well.

You will notice, that there is a square at each corner. Use your scissors to remove the sqaures. Then, on the 7 1/4" sides, cut along the last, short score line up to the innermost score line. Remove the piece that inlcudes the first two score lines only. See photo.

Now, add double sided tape to the outer most part of each side. Also add to the outermost part of the small tabs as shown. DO NOT REMOVE BACKING YET!

Now, FLIP your paper so the tape side is down and fold all score lines up and toward the center of the card. Use your bone folder to crease.

Now, doing one side at a time, remove the backing on the tape and fold in and affix tape to the inside of the card. Be sure that the edge of the taped side lines squarely up with the innermost score line. Press firmly to affix.

Now, repeat on each of the three remaining sides until it looks as shown.

Carefully remove the backing on each tab and tuck them into the end of each of the long sides.

Now, turn your attention to the other piece of cardstock (the cardfront). Place your box base facedown on to the cardstock and line it up so that the front of the cardfront will sit squarely on top of your box. With a pencil mark where the edge of the box lies so you know where to score.

Now, score a line where you marked with your pencil and then another just over a 1/4" to the left (you want just over a 1/4" to account for the thickness of the paper).

Now, add your double sided tape to the end where you made your last score line.

Now, fold up the score lines and crease with your bone folder. Remove the backing on the tape and affix to the BACK of the box.

Your box should now open like this:

Now, you are ready to decorate the inside of your box card. The inset part of the card should measure 3 1/4" by 4 1/2". By adding 1/2" strips around the frame of the box, it can help to square up anything that may have gone amiss. I used a mishmash of Imaginisce, Fancy Pants, Best Creation and 3 Bugs in a Rug to decorate my card! The blank white paper at the top is for my kiddos to write a message to their teacher. I also added a small amount of re-positionable adhesive to hold the ornament in place.

And, decorate the front!

If you rotate the card to open to the left, it would be a perfect size to put in a gift card in place of the ornament!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you liked the tutorial and I'd LOVE for you to link any versions that you make in the comments section!

Ornament Card

2011-12-17T22:12:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited about this card I just can't wait to share it! Yesterday I went to Lowe's to pick up some Christmas gifts for my Dad. Since I was actually by myself (a rarity!) I took a few minutes to browse some things I didn't need. I spotted a "teacher" ornament that immediately became something I DID need! So, I picked up one for each of my kids' teachers and then went on to find a few more things I "needed."

Once I got home, I decided that I needed (there's that word again) to craft something scrappy to use as a holder for these ornaments. The word "box card" kept ringing in my head. So, I set about the internet looking for just the right tutorial to match the vision I had. Nothing came close. So, out came the paper and pencil and I decided to figure it out. At one point, somewhere around the 5th template, my daughter remarked, "Mom, scrapping is kind of 'mathy,' isn't it?" Yes, dear for those of us who are anal-retentive, it most certainly is.

So, here it is on about the 7th try, and I really like the results. I plan to make a tutorial tomorrow-- or maybe even tonight since my afternoon coffee is still going strong. But here it is:

When you see the front, it looks like just a pretty Christmas card:

Then, when you open it... SURPRISE!

The white paper at the top is for one of my cherubs to write a note to their teacher. Upon closer inspection, you will see that there is a "frame" that goes around the card to create an inset for the ornament. It's 1/2 inch wide and a 1/4 inch deep. The edges are actually folded over and in to make it work:

I'm really excited about how this came out. It would be a great holder for a gift card, too! I'll be back soon with a tutorial-- I promise! Thanks for stopping by!

My Sketch World Blog Hop!

2011-12-10T00:00:00.003-05:00

Calling all card sketch lovers! We’ve asked our designers to choose their favourite Lucy Chesna card sketch and challenge their partner to show you ways to create wonderfully inspiring cards, each with their very own a twist! Our international designers on this hop are:
My Sketch World
Jan Tatomir
Karen Zabuska
Lisa Moen
Lucy Chesna
Marion (Majo) Wybraneitz
Nicole Wise
Sherri Priest
Stacey Wright
The details:
1. Visit each blog and leave a comment. Read carefully, there maye be individual requirements as some desingers are offering little prizes of their own!
2. After you have visited each Designers blog come back to My Sketch World blog and let us know what you thought. Part Two of the hop ends Monday, December 12th, 11:59 EST.
3. Everyone who posts a comment on each blog will be entered to win a TEN DOLLAR GIFT CERTIFICATE to A Walk Down Memory Lane! Winners will be randomly chosen.
4. To receive and additional entry, scraplift a card and link it back to the My Sketch World blog and tell us in your comment what inspired you!
5. Have fun! Be inspired!

My sketch was picked my Lisa Moen and her "twist" was that I had to use ink, paint or Copics. Here's the sketch she gave me:

And, here's the card I created based on the sketch:

I decided to use the Copics option of Lisa's twist and used a red one to create the tiny dots around the outside of my card. I love the dimension and interest that they added to an otherwise very simple card. I used Bella Blvd.'s Christmas Wishes Papers, an SRM Sticker and an OLD Making Memories leaf/brad combo that's been in my stash for a LONG time!

I hope you enjoyed my part of the MSW Blog Hop! I'd love it if you became a follower on my blog so that you can come back and visit often!

Be sure to head to Sherri's blog next to continue on. And, don't forget to leave a comment on each blog along the way so that you will be eligible to win the AWDML Gift Certificate!

Wishing You a Furry Woofmas!

2011-12-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

Today, I want to honor some of the furry friends in our lives-- the dogs! Every dog loves a treat and every dog-lover appreciates it when you remember their canine companions. So today, I made a cute treat bag with home made peanut butter dog treats inside. The project even includes the recipe so that your totally-impressed-dog-loving-friend can make homemade dog treats, too! They are incredibly easy and my dogs LOVE them!

But first the scrappy project! Here is what it looks like closed:

And, when they untie the ribbon and open it up, they will see the homemade dog treats and the recipe, too!

This project was created for A Walk Down Memory Lane's 12 Days of Christmas event on their blog. Please check out the post to see the directions for creating this treat bag!

And if you are interested in the recipe for the dog treats, here it is!
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Skim or Low-Fat Milk
1 Cup Peanutbutter
Mix flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Add milk and PB and stir until blended into a dough. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface about 1/2" thick. Cut with cookie cutter or with a pizza cutter into small shapes. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 350* for 20 minutes. Turn oven off and leave cookies in the oven for an additional 10-20 minutes so they get nice and crispy. Cool completley and store in a bag or airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to come back this weekend for more scrappy fun!!

Spread some Holiday Cheer!

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about this card!! I was cruising around on the web and was fascinated by a tutorial that I came across on Splitcoast Stampers where you create a herringbone pattern using several different patterns cut into thin strips. So, I gave it a whirl with some Scrappin' Sports & More papers and I am thrilled with how it came out!

I kept the rest of the card very simple because I couldn't bear to cover up the fun pattern!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Come back soon for more scrappy fun!

Reindeer Food!

2011-12-03T08:21:00.001-05:00

Every year the list of Christmas Eve traditions seems to get longer. We put out cookies and milk for Santa, hang Santa’s Key on the door, enjoy a visit from the “Jammie Elf,” read “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas,” track Santa on NORAD’s website… the list goes ON! One of the favorite things we do is to sprinkle Reindeer Food in the driveway so Santa’s Reindeer will have a snack while they wait for Santa and the glitter helps them to find where to land! This tradition started whent the kids (who are now 8 and 9) were in preschool. They made the food there, and anonther Christmas Eve tradition was born!

I decided to make fun containers for our Reindeer Food. Usually it’s just in a sandwich bag, so this is way more fun! I used some of SRM’s plastic tubes and some of Bella Blvd’s fun new Christmas line to make these!

This project was created with goodies from A Walk Down Memory Lane for the 12 Days of Christmas going on on their Blog. Check out the AWDML blog for directions on how to make this project and the new sales that are on for each day of the 12 Days of Christmas!!

Also be sure to check out this month's featured manufacturer's at AWDML: Bella Blvd and StampingScrapping! They are both 25% off for the whole month of December!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Maya Road Madness!!!

2011-11-23T16:55:00.000-05:00

Maya Road is the 2nd featured manufacturer at A Walk Down Memory Lane this month! You will receive 25% off all in stock Maya Road and Bo Bunny products at AWDML for the whole Month of November!

I had a great time playing with the Maya Road goodies this month. First up (and my favorite) is this shadow box I made for Elizabeth's room. It features some fabulous Echo Park papers and stickers, Jillibean Corrugated Alphas, and a 7 Gypsies shadow box. Of course, we can't forget the Maya Road chipboard banner pieces.

Each design team member is doing a post on the AWDML Blog this week about what we are grateful for. I did a layout about my furry kids, Fergus and Duffy. Fergus is a 14 year old Jack Russell Terrier. He still loves to play, especially with squeaky toys and with the hose. Duffy is our 6 month old Goldendoodle who joined our family in August. He is a goofy, floppy, sweet ball of fur who we love so very much! This LO features Simple Stories 100 Days of Summer papers and letter stickers, Studio Calico alphas and Maya Road's key chain chipboard in the shape of a dog bone.

Last, but DEFINITELY not least is a card that I made featuring the November card sketch at My Sketch World. Be sure to check out the MSW blog to see all of the beautiful cards that the Design Team made with this sketch! I used some Jillibean Soup papers and more of the Maya Road keychain chipboard, this time in the shape of a doggie face. The inside of the card says, "I missed your birthday!"

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to come back soon for more scrappy goodness!

It's Bo Bunny Month!

2011-11-15T20:41:00.000-05:00

That's right! It's Bo Bunny month at A Walk Down Memory Lane! Shop for Bo Bunny goodies at AWDML in the month of November and recieve the fabulous 25% featured manufacturer discount!

I got to play with some fabulous goodies this month including the "Roughin' It" and "Midight Frost" lines!

This layout, featuring the "Roughin' It" line recalls our fun hike that we took this summer. It was SUPER hot that day, but we had a blast being together and looking for fun stuff in the woods. I started with a PageMaps sketch by Becky Fleck and then went from there!

In this layout, I started with another PageMaps sketch that inspired me and I really like how it turned out. I've been hoarding the "Midnight Frost" line of paper since last winter. I love it so much I couldn't bear to cut it. But, after a few deep breaths, I made the cut and I'm glad I did. And, since it's a pretty large line of paper, there's plenty left to play with! ;)

This line of paper also lends itself to some easy, peasy cards. There's fun journaling spots that are perfect for card sentiments!

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to check back in a few days for some fun with AWDML's other November featured manufacturer- Maya Road!!!

PageMaps FUN!

2011-11-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

I feel so fortunate that the Scrappin' Sports & More Design Team got to be a part of the awesomeness that is PageMaps!! I LOVE the sketch that Becky gave me to work with and I look forward to using it over and over!! Be sure to check out all of the November PageMaps (including this one)! They are amazing to work with!

I decided to do the photo of my son wearing his Rally Cap at the Portland Sea-Dogs game. He was there with the team that he was the bat-boy for (all 7th graders) and had a blast just being "one of the guys." Unfortunately the team got absolutely creamed! But, he did is part to cheer them on by putting on his Rally Cap and getting the rest of the boys to do the same!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll be back to share some more scrappy fun soon!!

It's just SEW easy!

2011-10-23T08:37:00.000-04:00

I'm not usually one who is big into altering things. But, when I saw this line of Jillibean goodies, I thought it really called for this. I used a Sucrets tin and altered it to create an emergency sewing kit for my desk at school.

Here's the inside....
I used one of the die cut buttons and some foam tape to make a secure place to store a needle.

Then, I added buttons, safety pins and some thread (on some bobbins that someone gave me that don't fit my machine),

Here's the outside top view:

And the side....

I'm so pleased with how this project came out. And, had another sore throat this week, so I have another Sucrets tin that will become something fun soon! Thanks for stopping by!

A Fun Halloween Project!

2011-10-20T19:45:00.000-04:00

I saw this cute project somewhere in my scrappy-internet-adventures and thought, "This is super cute! I need to remember this one." Then, of course, I couldn't find it again when I wanted to try it.... so through trial and error, I figured it out.

There's a tutorial on how to make it on the A Walk Down Memory Lane blog. And, today I got the honor (and SHOCK) of having this project shared on Creating Keepsakes Facebook page today!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!! I have more fun projects to share with you and will be back soon!

More Jillibean Goodness!

2011-10-19T16:35:00.000-04:00

For some reason, everytime I create something using Jillibean Soup products, I LOVE the end results. I don't know why that is, exactly, but their products just seem to fit my style so perfectly!

I've made several cards this month using Jillibean Soup's Apple Cheddar Soup and Homemade 6 lines. Here they are.....

This one features a the October card sketch at My Sketch World by Lucy Chesna! I also stamped a row of hearts using Ranger's Glossy Accents!

Thank you for stopping by today! You can shop all month at A Walk Down Memory Lane and get 25% off all Jillibean Soup and Ranger goodies! Enjoy!

Time to share!

2011-10-09T10:13:00.000-04:00

It's time to share more projects! YAY! This month at A Walk Down Memory Lane, Jillibean Soup and Ranger are the featured manufacturers! That means you can get 25% off all instock products from Jillibean Soup and Ranger for the entire month!

I got to play with the fabulous fall collection, Apple Cheddar Soup and I love the projects that came about!

First of all, "Apple Picking." I feel like I'm out of snappy titles for layouts about picking apples each year, but this plain title seemed to do the trick. This layout was inspired by one that was on the Jillibean Blog.

I used some Ranger Glossy Accents on the Apple Trees that I cut out to give a little "pop" to the apples!

This layout was created using a sketch from the Jillibean Soup Blog. It's a little different for me, so it was a good challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll be back soon to share the cards that I made with this gorgeous collection. Have a happy day!

More cards!

2011-09-29T21:19:00.001-04:00

I know, I know... more cards?! Yep! I created these for a fun post at on the A Walk Down Memory Lane blog about using your computer to create your own silly and fun card sentiments. They feature super cute stamps from The Greeting Farm as well as more of the gorgeous Country Drive line from Echo Park! And, I used my Copic Markers on each of the stamped images.

This one is going to a friend who is long overdue for a "hello."

Here's a fun card for a dinner or party invite!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back to share moore fun projects soon!

A few Cards to share...

2011-09-25T21:34:00.000-04:00

I have so many projects that I forget to share here on my blog! Here are a few that I really love!

This one features the September card sketch by Lucy Chesna at My Sketch World! It's also made with some wonderful goodies from A Walk Down Memory Lane including Echo Park Papers, Prima Flowers and The Greeting Farm stamps!

And this one is also made with goodies from A Walk Down Memory Lane. I haven't made one of these cards in a long time, but with Breast Cancer Awareness Month coming up, I figured it was time. You can see the tutorial on how to make this card HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I'll be sure to share more scrappy fun with you soon!

She shoots....SCORE!!

2011-09-18T15:51:00.000-04:00

After sitting on the sidelines for three years watching Colby play soccer, Elizabeth decided to give it a try. And, she scored her first goal in only her second game! She was so excited (and shocked)! I love her smile as she ran over for her congratulatory hug!

Of course, there's nothing better to scrap this momentous occasion, than Scrappin' Sports & More papers! I used mostly the soccer paper from the "Title Sports" collection, but also a strip of soccer balls from the "The Sport Is...." collection. I was pretty excited to figure out that I could use the SOCCER title but cutting it out, re-arranging the letters and leaving out a C to spell SCORE! Love it!

Products Used:
#1349:- The Sport Is....Soccer
#1379- Title Sports: Soccer

Thanks for stopping by today!

Future Rock Star!

2011-09-14T20:34:00.000-04:00

We are so proud of Elizabeth! She saved for over SIX MONTHS to buy her own guitar! She started taking lessons already and practices every day. I was so happy to have Best Creation's Rock Star Collection to scrap this event. This is one she will want to remember forever!

And, this month, Best Creation is sponsoring the sketch at Get Picky! Check out the sketch, the contest and what the rest of the DT did with the sketch HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Meet Duffy!

2011-09-13T21:22:00.001-04:00

Duffy is our new baby. He may be covered in fur, but he is our baby. This is Duffy's first layout and it features some great goodies from A Walk Down Memory Lane. I looked and looked for just the right line of paper that feaured a "pet theme" without being too over the top. And, when I saw this line from Bella Blvd called Tail Waggers and Cat Naps, I knew I'd found it! This layout also features some letter stickers from American Crafts, Prima and Cosmo Cricket.

I am also SUPER excited to announce that i've been invited back to the Design Team at A Walk Down Memory Lane! This is a FABULOUS team to be on and I'm thrilled to be back for my third term! Thank so Lisa for this incredible opportunity! If you shop at AWDML this month, you can save 25% on our featured manufacturers American Crafts and The Greeting Farm!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Hello Fall!

2011-09-11T21:46:00.000-04:00

It's hard to beleive that it's already here. But, if you go outside after dinner, or early in the morning, there is definitley a bite in the air. It was definitely time to play with the beautiful new line from Best Creation called Hello Fall! The colors are gorgeous and there are touches of glitter in just the right places! And, the fun embellishments that complete the collection are perfect in every way!

I've scrapped this photo at least once already, but eventually I'll be separating my layouts into books for each of the kids, so it's ok. Besides, it's one of my favorites!! This layout is based on a PageMaps sketch by Becky Fleck!

And, here's a close up so you can see the title (the letters are cut out from the title strips paper), and the super cute cardstock stickers! Check out the glitter!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! It's always a pleasure to have you visit! I'll be back soon with more projects!

Farewell to Summer

2011-09-03T12:18:00.000-04:00

It is with a great amount of sadness that I wave farewell to summer. The end of summer means so many things: the kids start a new, older year in school, our schedule goes nuts until the end of October due to soccer, and I have to go back to work. But, thanks to my scrappy habit I get to preserve the memories of summer- the big ones and the little ones- so that we'll remember them always.

Sometimes, I like to create a film-strip, of sorts, to incorporate a lot of photos onto one page. And, I had the opportunity to use this SUPER FUN paper from the Best Creation Loops & Scoops collection, as well!

Here's a close-up of the title work:

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Don't forget that you have until September 5th to play along in the Best Creation Blog Hop!

Best Creation Blog Hop!!!

2011-08-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today we have a fun blog hop with projects using thread! Visit each blog listed below to find the secret FALL words! Once you have found the FALL words, email them to mel@bestcreation.us for a chance to win our new 12x12 Hello Fall collection kit!

Winners will be announced Tuesday, September 6th!

Good luck everyone! Now let's get started...
You should have come from Karen's Blog and after your visit, you should go to Julie's Blog but, you get lost, just be sure to come right back to our BEST CREATION BLOG page!

Since it's all about stitching today, I wanted to share with you the back to school cards I made for my kids. Unfortuntely, their first day of school is also MY first day of school with students, so I'm not usually there to put them on the bus and smother them in hugs and kisses. So, I started making them cards a few years ago that my husband gives them at the bus stop so they know that they are in my heart, even though I'm not standing there with them.

On Elizabeth's card, I simply used some lime green zig zag stitching to add some dimension and interest to the lime green strip of paper.

And, on Colby's card, I used the stitching to create a border around the patterned paper (to take the place of matting) and also to make some exhaust coming from the bus!

I hope you enjoyed these cards made with Best Creation's Back 2 School collection! Now, hop on over to JULIE's BLOG for your next stop...of and just in case you'd like to win the Hello Fall Collection, one of your secret words is PUMPKIN!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Soccer Camp!

2011-08-22T08:04:00.000-04:00

My kids LOVED soccer camp this year! It's a whole week of skills and drills and they smile (and sweat) through every minute of it. And, the Title Sports collection from Scrappin' Sports & More was released at the PERFECT time to scrap this fun summer memory!

One of my favorite parts of this line is the SUPER fun titles! I love to cut them out and pop them up! Don't you LOVe the soccer letters?! So, so cute! I used a fun stamp set to add the soccer balls and cleats to the project.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! My mojo has made a BIG return and I'll have lots of new projects to share soon! Have a GREAT day!

Fun with Scraps!

2011-08-12T22:15:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I shared anything here! Life has been crazy-- I've painted my house (almost done!), ushered in my daughter's 9th year and even welcomed a new furry baby into the family! Now that things are slowing down (hopefully!) I'll be able to share more fun things with you!

I played with a few scraps from my Scrappin' Sports & More's Title Sports papers and I created this fun bookmark for my daughter! It's funny how a few scraps of paper can make a kiddo so happy! The only one not please was my son, so I had to make another one! LOL!

I hope you all are having a fabulous August and that it doesn't go by too fast! Thanks for stopping by today!

Playing with Pebbles!

2011-07-27T23:02:00.001-04:00

No, I'm not throwing rocks! I'm scrapping with some fabulous products from Pebbles, Inc! I created this sweet layout of my little girl using their "Happy Go Lucky" collection! I LOVE the papers and the felt embellishements are super fun to play wtih. Aren't the colors perfect for my little red-head?! Let's face it, that hair doesn't go with just anything!

Check out this fun cluster of felt flowers! I even cut out some leaves from some of the patterned paper to give the cluster a little extra zing!

The papers and felt embellies are so sweet, but I had the most fun playing with the Candy Dots! They little dots that look just like that candy you used to eat as a kid (you know- the ones where you ate just as much paper as you did candy?!). I got the white ones, but felt like they needed a little extra punch on this layout. So, I reaced for my Copic Markers and colored them to coordinate with the papers! I even attached a few of them to straight pins and used them as feet for the little birdies and antennae for the butterfly! Aren't they CUTE?!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Come back again, soon!!

So Handsome

2011-07-26T15:10:00.000-04:00

My little man is so handsome and getting more so every day... I loved these photos I took of him back in June and knew the paper I wanted to use (Bo Bunny's Beach Bum)- all that was left was the inspiration to glue it all down! And, it came in the form of a great sketch from Liz Chidester at the Birds of a Feather Crop. It seemed to take me forever tofinally sit down and finish it, but here it is!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Just Dance!

2011-07-22T11:12:00.000-04:00

I am having some BIG FUN with the new Title Sports collection from Scrappin' Sports & More! The colors are fabulous and the titles are great to leave just the way they are, or you can cut them out and pop them up for some extra pizzaz! On this layout, I cut out the "D" from the dance paper and popped it with some foam dots, then used it together with some Thickers to create a title that really POPS!

Here's the whole layout! The purple in the dance papers couldn't have been more perfect to go with my daughter's dance costume this year! And, the black stripes on the hockey paper are great to make everything jump off the page. Of course, the awesome sketch from Sketchy Thursdays was great to use, too!

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Life is Good!

2011-07-14T09:38:00.000-04:00

Time to share a new layout!! I've been working like mad and having a great time with Scrappin' Sports & More's new "Title Sports" line! It's so fun and the bright, fun colors are fabulous to work with! And, the titles inlcuded on the line are perfect to cut out and play with! But, I'll show you that later! ;) Today's layout shows you the "b sides" of the tennis and prom papers. The bright colors and subtle patterns make it perfect to scrap just about anything! I chose to use it to share a photo of the baby robins we discovered in our yard this spring!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a great day!

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-04T13:31:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July in the good ol' USA! It is a beautiful day- one to spend with family and friends. We must take a minute to remember and thank those who are serving our beautiful country and are not home to barbecue and celebrate today....people like our friend Shawn. He is our dear friend who serves in the Air Force and is currently stationed in Georgia. Watching my kids say goodbye to him when he was transferred was one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever witnessed as a mom-- especially for my son, who thinks the world of his "buddy" Shawn. But we know that we live in a free country because Shawn and lots of brave folks just like him are keeping us safe! Thank you, Shawn!!

The I {heart} America collection from Best Creation was perfect to honor Shawn and this beautiful (but sad) moment.

I have another project to share with you today- this time with Scrappin' Sports & More papers. This is a fun project to use as a centerpiece for your 4th of July party! One of the fun parts of this project was coloring the rice to use in the display jar! You can find a tutorial on how to do it HERE. I can see using this rice technique for lots of other holiday projects- just change the colors!

I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July! Thanks for stopping by today!

In a Flash!!

2011-07-01T15:36:00.000-04:00

It all happens in a flash! You have a beautiful baby and then BAM! You are looking at your baby who is now so grown up and you wonder where the time went. How did this happen seemingly overnight? I took Colby to the playground the other day while Elizabeth was volunteering at the library. All of a sudden I looked at him and couldn't believe how big and grown up he looked. I swear he hadn't looked like that the day before!!

The School is Cool collection from Scrappin' Sports & More is perfect for this layout. This combination of bold colors and simple patterns are just perfect for scrapping my boy- or any boy!

Thanks for stopping by today!

I'm one lucky girl!

2011-06-27T22:12:00.000-04:00

I am definitely a lucky girl these days... let's see: I'm on summer vacation and get stay home with my two awesome kids. I just celebrated my 12th wedding anniversary. I am healthy. I have a great family. I have a cute dog. Oh, and I AM THIS MONTH'S GUEST DESIGNER AT SCRAPDANGO!! That's right- I'm extra lucky this month. And, this kit was AMAZING!

I got to play with the "Sugar" kit which consisted of mostly the Jillibean Soup Watermelon Gazpacho collection. *swoon* I love, love, love the kit and am totally happy with the projects I created. The only one not happy with it was my son, who didn't see anything about HIM! Guess I better get back to my scrappy table, eh? But first, I want to share what I did with you!

My girl: Made extra gorgeous by using a sketch from Sketch Support.

Pixie Girl: Another awesome sketch from Sketch Support.

Summertime:

Life Is Sweet:

Dad Card: (Happy Father's Day again, Dad!)

Hello Sunshine Card:

Thank you to Heather and the ladies at Scrapdango for being such a fun group and I hope to be there for a LONG time!

Thanks for stopping by today! I have lots more to share with you- I'm just trying to space it all out! ;)

Gift Bag Tutorial!

2011-06-23T16:17:00.000-04:00

Before we get to the tutorial, don't forget to play along in the Scrappin' Sports and More Blog Hop! You have until Monday, June 27th to play along and a winner will be posted here on the blog on the 28th! See the hop and what you can win HERE!

On my blog for our blog hop, I created a gift bag and told you all to let me know in your comments if you wanted to see a tutorial. You said you wanted to see it, so here it is!! It looks like a lot of steps, but it's really easy- I promise!!

First of all, gather your materials. You will need 2 pieces of patterned paper (or cardstock), a scoreboard/scoring tool, paper trimmer, scissors, adhesive, hole punch, eyelets/eyelet setter (optional), ribbon, tag or decoration for the front.

The first piece of paper should be at 12"X12". You need to score it at the following measurements.

The 2nd piece of paper should be trimmed to 10"X12" and scored at the following measurements.

Now, fold all of your score lines as shown below.

On the 12"X12" piece of paper, use scissors to remove the area of the paper between the 3" horizontal score line and the 2.5" score line as shown below. Repeat on the other side using the 3" horizontal score line and the 9.5" score line.

On the 10"X12" piece of paper, make one cut from the edge of the paper into the 1.5" score line along the 3" horizontal score line as shown below. Repeat on the other side using the 3" horizontal score line and the 8.5" score line.

Now flip your paper so you are looking at the side that will face the outside of your bag. Add a strong adhesive to the outer most flap (the 1" wide section) on both sides. I used my ATG gun, but a sticky strip would work well, also.

Stick down the 10"X12" paper on to the flap that you just put adhesive on. The edge of the paper should run along the 1" score line of the 12"X12" paper.

Now, fold the 12"X10" paper underneath and fold the 1.5" flap over onto the 1" section that has ahdesive on it. Again, the edge of the paper should run along the 1" score line.

Now, to form the bottom of the bag, add adhesive to the outer flaps of the bottom section as shown below.

Fold the bottom flap over and ahere the sticky ends to the innner sides of the bag.

Now, add adhesive to the remaining bottom flap.

Fold the flap over to close the bottom of your bag.

Now, the basic bag is made! All you have left to do is decorate it! And, you can do that any way you want!

Here's how I chose to decorate my bag... I started with a 2"X11" strip of white cardstock and one of the red preschool paper. I used my Fiskars Scallop Border Punch along the red and then adhered them together as shown. You need to make TWO of these strips and score them at 1.5", 8.5" and 10".

Now, adhere the strips to the top of your bag. They should go all the way around and should overlap slightly.

Next, punch holes for your handles and add eyelets (optional- you could use holes). I put mine at 1" in and 1/2" down on either side.

To make the handles, I chose to use ribbon, but the only white ribbon I had was satin and too "floppy" to make good handles. So, I cut two pieces of ribbon that were approximately 18" long and ahdered a 1/4"X9" strip of the red paper to the ribbon to make it stand a little straighter.

Now, feed the ribbon through the eyelets/holes and tie a know on the inside of the bag. Trim off excess ribbon as shown. Repeat on the other side of the bag to create two handles.

Finally, if you want to, you can add a tag or decoration of your choice. I used my Nestibilities dies and a stamp to create mine.

Here's the bag I just made next to the one I made for the blog hop!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Please let me know what you think of the tutorial and share your gift bag on the Scrappin' Sports & More Facebook page so we can share some love!

And the winner is....

2011-06-23T09:52:00.002-04:00

The winner of the 6X6 pad of glitter papers from Best Creation is:

Congratulations! Email me at nwise(at)metrocast(dot)net with you address and I'll get your prize out to you! Thank you to everyone who left comments and played along! I hope you'll come back again soon.

Scrappin' Sports & More Blog Hop!!

2011-06-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

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

--->Nicole Wise<---

Thanks so much for playing along! Good luck!

Here's my project! I created this fun gift bag using the Graduation paper and the Preschool paper from the awesome "School is Cool" line. It stands 9" tall and is very sturdy. I love how it came out and will be making LOTS more of these to give gifts in!

Products Used:
#1355- Preschool
#1355- Graduation

If you think you'd like to see a tutorial on how I made this bag, just let me know in a comment here on my blog and I'll make one for you for my next post on the Scrappin' Sports & More blog on Thursday! Of course, by leaving a comment, you will be on your way to winning the ENTIRE School is Cool collection!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Water Fun!!

2011-06-18T06:00:00.005-04:00

It's a Water Fun weekend at Best Creation! The designers are having a BLAST playing with projects that invlove a water theme. I had no shortage of photos to create a layout featuring the brand new Splash Fun line and together with a sketch by Allison Davis, I love the LO that I created!!

The title work was the most fun on this one! I used a combination of white cardstock cut with my Cricut (sans serif), green paper from the title strip paper from the Splash Fun line and more cricut, some letters cut from the title strip paper and finally a few glittery thickers. Here's a closeup of all of the fun title work!

Products Used: SF002, SF004, SF005, SF013, GCS008, FT003, Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive and Zap Dots

This line is so fun and I can't wait to get my camera out this summer and capture more fun photos to go with it!

If you hop over to the Best Creation Blog on June 17th and 18th, you will find lots of water-themed projects. There is a FUN guessing game with prizes to be won and many of the designers are having giveaways on their blogs.
I have a little giveaway today, too!! I have a 6X6 pack of glitter papers from our May release called "I {heart} America" and I want to give it to YOU! There are TWO ways to win! You get one entry for leaving a comment here on this post and you can get another entry for becoming a follower of my blog. If you are already a follower, then you are already entered to win! Make sure to leave me an email address or a way to contact you if you are the winner! I'll announce a winner on Wednesday, June 22nd.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Third Grade!

2011-06-17T11:29:00.000-04:00

It's officially summer and Elizabeth is officially a fourth grader. What an incredible year she's had! She had a wonderful teacher who was so sweet to her and offered her the challenges she needed. I'm so proud of her! I created this LO using Scrappin' Sports & More's School is Cool line of papers and I love how it came out! It's so bright and cheerful! Elizabeth likes that I included some of the things from this year's curriculum in the journaling. I also love finding a use for those wallet sized photos that are always left over from school photos!

Stay tuned to my blog and the Scrappin' Sports & More blog for a FUN event coming up on Monday, the 20th!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Best-Punky-Mar!!!

2011-06-14T18:43:00.000-04:00

Best Creation has teamed up with Punky Sprouts AND Helmar this week and OH what a party it's been!!! I designed a super fun mini album about our trip to Disney and my son kept asking if I was done yet so he could take it to school to show it to his friends. While I was taking photos of it, I had to get it out of his backpack....twice!

My mini was made with the brand-spankin'-new paper line called "Loops and Scoops." It's a super fun amusement park themed line that has a full line of double sided papers, two full sticker sheets (including three sets of mini-alphas!), a full sized set of chipboard AND a 6X6 paper pad! Most of the mini was made using the 6X6 paper pad and it came out oh, so cute!!

Here's the front cover:

Page 1:

Page 2:

Page 3:

Page 4:

Page 5:

And of course, the whole she-bang is held together with Helmar glues-- fantastic for working with the different materials in this album (chipboard, cardboard, acrylic and canvas!).

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to check out the Best Creation Blog for all of the fun going on this week....and maybe even win a prize!!

Got 2 Dance!!

2011-06-07T21:37:00.000-04:00

There is so much scrappy fun going on this month! There is paper and glue and glitter flying everywhere in my scraproom. No, really....it's a MESS! But, it's a happy, scrappy mess!

This month I have the honor of being the Guest Designer at Scrapdango! I received this month's Sugar Kit to work with and it's SO FUN!!! One of my responsibilities (more like a perk!) was to represent with the Dango Girls as Scrapdango sponsors Sketch Inspiration. I got to play with the sketch and was a part of the sketch reveal along with the rest of the Scrapdango team!

I used the brand spankin' new line from Best Creation called Rock Star and it couldn't have been a more perfect fit for these photos!

Scoot on over to Sketch Inspiration to see the sketch and to go into the drawing for a prize from Scrapdango. And, don't forget to swing by Scrapdango to see the fabulous kits and get one for yourself! You won't be sorry!!

Thanks to the teachers!

2011-06-05T12:37:00.000-04:00

Scrappin' Sports & More's new line of school papers is fabulous for school photos, first and last day of school layouts, and lots of things in between. They are also great for teacher cards and gifts! Here are some cards I made for my kids to write thank you notes to their teachers in. We'll probably put a little something extra in there, too!

There's a fun contest going on on Facebook right now where you can win the whole School Is Cool line from Scrappin' Sports & More! Go over to their Facebook page and check it out!

Thanks for stopping by today!!

It's BLOG HOP Time!!!

2011-05-27T09:00:00.005-04:00

Welcome to this month's Best Creation Blog Hop!!!

Grab your suntan lotion and a towel and get ready for a fun Summertime Hop to get some great ideas to get caught up with old summer photos and lots of ideas for inspiring you for this summer too!!

Our first stop on this weekend hop is to Liz's blog and then off to a idea packed hop with the rest of the team
and our Guest Designer for this month Shannon Morgan...

And of course we have lots of chances to win some of our New June releases and 6x6 mini packs too. Be sure and leave a comment on either Facebook or the blog or sign up as a new Follower!!!

And of course our DT loves, loves, loves to hear from you so leave them comments too!!

Liz Chidester

Katarina Damm

Alicia Barry

Kim Holmes

Brittny Kilvaug

Petra Offrell

Karen Taylor

Sandy Ang

Karen Thind

Jona Panessa

Sarah Mullanix

Tina McDonald

Julie Walton

Jodi Wilton

Debbie Sherman

Kim Arledge

Irit Shalom

--->Nicole Wise <---

Emily Branch

Shannon Morgan

Contest ends Sunday May 29th at Midnight.

If you are arriving here from Irit's blog, then you are on the right track! If not, stop by the BC Blog and start from the beginning so you don't miss a minute of the Summer Fun!

Around here, it's not summer unless it's BASEBALL SEASON!!! And, Best Creation really hit a home run with their new baseball line! I was thrilled when I saw it and even more thrilled once I started to work with it! I can't wait to get back to my scrappy table and dig into more of it! Here's my layout for today!

I loved getting a chance to use up some of the baseball portraits I got AND to cut into all of this fun paper! The circles at the top and bottom of the layout are circles punched out from one of the papers in the collection And, several of them have embossing and glitter on them, so it really pops! I adhered the circles to the layout using some FABULOUS Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots. That stuff is AMAZING! It is so easy to work with and bring such great depth to any project!

(Products used: BB001, BB004, BB006, BB008, BB010, BB013, Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots)

Here's a close up so you can see the fun glitter and the great dimension from the Helmar Adhesive!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to visit all of the blogs along our hop today and leave lovin' on each blog. And, leave a comment on the BC Blog and/or our Facebook Page to have a chance to win one of our three newest lines!

Happy hopping!

It's Baseball Season!!

2011-05-19T22:54:00.001-04:00

Colby's been waiting 9 months for baseball season to come around again! Even though six of his eight games have been rained out so far, he's still excited and has even been practicing in the garage! Since he has his pictures taken each season, I decided I might as well make a frame to keep them in. The "The sport is..." line from Scrappin' Sports & More makes it easy to make frames for any sport!

I started with a basic wooden frame that I got for $1.00 at a craft store and inked the edges black. Then I covered the frame with the baseball paper. I put the rubons onto some smooth, white cardstock and cut them out. Finally, I inked the edges of some corrugated letters and an acrylic star and attached everything to the frame using glue or foam dots. I think it came out cute!

Products Used:

#1337- The Sport is....Baseball
#636- Baseball Rub-On

If you've made a frame using your Scrappin' Sports & More papers, share them on their Facebook page!

Speaking of Facebook, are you a fan of Scrappin' Sports & More on Facebook? If not, be sure to pop over and "like" us! You'll be glad you did!
So glad you stopped by today!!

YouNique

2011-05-14T11:43:00.002-04:00

My sweet little girl is very unique. One of her most noticble qualities is her beautiful red hair. More and more, her friends are noticing that her hair is "different," not just the people who are forever stopping us in the grocery store to tell us how beautiful her hair is. So far, the words from her friends have been positive, but I know that may not last. So, I wanted to use this layout to show her that it's OK to be different-- to stand out in the crowd.

I'm not much of a journaler, so I like for my layouts to have strong titles. So, I used a play on words for the title and for my journaling simply wrote "In a garden full of butterflies, you are the most colorful." Simply stated, but it gets the point across.

Of course, I want to point out the FABULOUS Best Creation papers that I used for this layout, as well. It's a combination of the Jubilee papers and the Basic Glitter Cardstock. They work so beautifully together!!

Thank you so much for stopping by!!

It's time to share!!

2011-05-10T17:08:00.000-04:00

I get so wrapped up in my days that I sometimes forget to post what I've been working on! Here are the last two layouts I've done for Scrappin' Sports & More!

The new School Is Cool line is SO much fun!! The bright colors and great designs make it so fun to scrap my kids' school pictures!! Here is my son's first grade portrait (isn't he cute?!). I used the "b" side of the first grade paper to create little headings for my journaling. I thought the black cardstock/white pen combo was a fun way to make the journaling look like it was on a chalkboard!

And, here's a fun layout about my son playing "Mickey Golf." He informed me one day that "Girls play Minnie Golf! Boys play Mickey Golf!" I used some SS&M golf ball cardstock stickers to create the title.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hopefully I'll be back soon to share some more scrappy goodness!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T19:39:00.000-04:00

First of all, to MY mom (who I know is one of my biggest blog stalkers), thanks for all you do, have done and will do as my mom and as a fabulous grandmother to my kids. You are the best!!

Best Creation has done a tribute to mothers and Mother's Day on their blog. Check out the post and the beautiful tributes! My page was made using the Best Creation Graduation Papers and their Glitter Cardstock (*swoon*). It's about how I am constantly telling my kids to be careful and trying to protect them.

Here's a close-up of the flowers. My fingers were pretty inky after these! I just love my cat's eye inks for inking flowers! And, see those leaves peeking out from underneath? Those are cut out from one of the Graduation Papers. Perfect!

Oh, and since I mentioned my mom, here's the card I made for her. I made it quite a while ago, but didn't share it here because of that whole "mom-stalking-my-blog" thing. She liked it (phew!) so now I can share! I used Scrappin' Sports & More's "Calendars Made Easy- May" paper for it.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Mother's Day!

My Princess

2011-04-28T12:53:00.000-04:00

Best Creation has teamed up with Epiphany Crafts! I got to play with the Epiphany Crafts Button Studio and it was SO much fun! It's a great little tool that lets you create custom buttons for your projects! I used the Button Studio along with the Best Creation Glitter cardstock to create the centers for the flowers on my layout.

I had a great time making another pink, girly, sparkly layout for my little girl using the gorgeous and fun "Ballerina Princess" line from Best Creation. And see that background paper? That's the basic glitter cardstock! LOVE that stuff!!!

And, see that butterfly? That's made from a Nestibilities Shapeabilities Butterfly die! (Thanks, Vicki!!)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I'll be back in a day, or two to share what else I've been up to!

Best Creation Blog Hop!!

2011-04-25T09:00:00.001-04:00

It is Hip Hop time again! So, grab your Bunny Ears and come on a fun hop with us to learn lots of incredible techniques to use all those fun punches that you have!

Our first stop on the Hop is our talented Jodi Wilton- so if you didn't start there, please go to her blog and start at the beginning. As your are being inspired, be sure and pick up the mystery letters on each ladies' blog as you go to spell our mystery word! Send this "mystery word" to teresa@bestcreation.us for a chance to win our grand prize and leave comments on our facebook and all of the design team for 2 more chances to win your choice of a pack of glittery goodness.

Nicole Wise-- You're Here!!

Today, I have made a very simple and easy flower using a corner punch that is part of a Martha Stewart "Punch Around the Page" set. I used the "Scallop 3 Dot" one, but you can really do these with any fancy corner punch!

Here's a photo of the finished card!

This is the END of our Best Creation Blog Hop! Stop by the Best Creation Blog and be sure to leave a comment there! Hopefully you have stopped along every blog along the way and have collected all of your mystery letters.

My mystery letter to complete the phrase is "!"

Now, email your completed mystery phrase to teresa@bestcreation.us to enter for a chance to WIN!

You can also be entered to win if you've left comments on each blog along the way, and if you post on Best Creations Facebook page! Prizes include Ballerina Princess and Robot Paper Packs!!! Good luck!

Thank you SO much for stopping by- I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and the Best Creation Blog Hop!

I {heart} Robots!!

2011-04-21T10:24:00.000-04:00

Best Creation's newest release is a fabulously fun boy line called "Robots." It's full of bright colors and fun patterns and don't forget the great texture and glittler that always comes on Best Creation's products! There's also chipboard and TWO sticker sheets to go with it!

We are featuring not only our Robot line, but also some PageMaps sketches from Becky Fleck. You can see what the other design team members did on the Best Creation blog today. Here's mine!

The PageMaps sketch:

And, my layout to go with it!

Aren't those papers FUN!?! I picked this sketch just because I knew I could show a lot of the Robot Papers with it!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!! Come back soon!

First day of Kindergarten!

2011-04-19T14:59:00.000-04:00

Scrappin' Sports & More has a FABULOUS new line of school papers and I had so much fun making my first layout with them! They go from preschool all the way through senior year and the colors and designs are wonderful!

I decided to start with Kindergarten and scrap my son's first day. It seems like just yesterday, but he's already almost done with 1st grade!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!! Come back soon!

Best Creation and Clear Scraps- A winning Combination!

2011-04-16T12:22:00.000-04:00

Best Creation and Clear Scraps have teamed up this month and the Best Creation Design Team created some fabulous products! Check them out HERE!

For my project, I was given some Clear Scraps "Small Shapes" to work with and I created a door hanger for my daughter's bedroom that featured the new Best Creation Ballerina line and a Scalloped Circle from Clear Scraps.

First, I ran the piece of acrylic through my die cut machine with a CuttleBug embossing folder to create the dots and then I inked it with some pink ink from Clearsnap. Then I layered some Best Creation Glitter Cardstock and Ballerina papers. Then, I used some white embossing powder and ink on some chipboard letters for her initials and ahered them with some Helmar Craft Glue (seriously AMAZING stuff!!!). Then, I added a few stickers from the Ballerina collection, punched a hole at the top and added the ribbon and bow. She LOVES it and proudly displays it on her bedroom door!

Close up:

And here's the whole thing!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope to be back soon with more projects to share!

Wholly Scrappin' in April

2011-04-07T21:31:00.000-04:00

This is my last assignment for Wholly Scrap! I can't believe my six months are up already! Denise gave me some papers this time that were a true challenge for me, but I am so happy with how the layouts turned out!

The first paper was a big clock...what to do, what to do? After a few decisions and a few changes of my mind, I decided to actually do a layout about myself. I very rarely do that, but was excited to have good photos of my "day job" as a band conductor, and I wanted to use them. This is from when I was the guest contuctor at the Southern Maine Music Festival a few weeks ago. It was an INCREDIBLE experience and I was so honored to be a part of it. The bottom photo flips over to reveal some hidden journaling about what a meaningful experience it was to have my colleagues entrust me with their best students. Truly amazing!

This one was a paper put out by Creative Imaginations. The subject to scrap was an easy one to figure out, but the acutal use of the paper was tricky. I really liked the end result, though! I really wasn't comfortable displaying my son's vital information (full name, date and place of birth, etc.), so I decided to cover up that part of the paper and make a title block out of it. I used my cricut for the main title and loved how the Stamped Cartridge perfectly complimented the style and theme of the paper. I also really liked the area to put my journaling. It was kind of fun to write it as a "witness statement" rather than just journaling. My son, however, was horrified that I was not only going to scrap these photos, but hang them in a store and post them online! Oh, the torturous life of a scrapper's kid!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you get a chance to stop by Wholly Scrap! in North Hampton, NH, you definitley should! They are getting in fabulous new papers and products all the time!

And, I want to thank the ladies at Wholly Scrap!, especially Kim and Denise, for having me on the team this term! It's been a blast and I hope to do it again sometime!

Thanks, again, for stopping by!

More to share!

2011-03-26T22:08:00.000-04:00

I'm still getting caught up on all of the fun stuff that I haven't shared yet! Here are two layouts that were in recent issues of Scrapbook News & Review. They were both in the sketches section of the magazine.

This sweet-little-kissable-face belongs to Daniel and he is the son of two wonderful people that I work with. I wasn't a scrapper yet when my kids were babies, so I borrow other peoples' babies to scrap! And, I LOVE this line of Fancy Pants paper!!

Here's one of miss Elizabeth featuring some gorgeous My Mind's Eye papers. The were the perfect colors to scrap my little red-head!!

Thanks for stopping by!! I still have lots more to share and will be back soon!

I {heart} Jubilee!!

2011-03-22T22:10:00.000-04:00

Being on the Best Creation Design Team has been an INCREDIBLE ride so far!! I knew they had great products, but having had them in my hands now, I can say they have AMAZING products!! The photos of the papers just don't do them justice. You need to see them in person-- all the detail-- to really get the full effect.

One of first lines that I got to work with, might just be my favorite: JUBILEE!! The bright, fun colors and great patterns are just perfect for my style of scrapping. Here are a few projects that I made with Jubilee!

This is a sweet little set of mini cards complete with a little bag to put them in. They were SO fun to make!

I've been looking for just the right papers to scrap this photo of my boy who was SO PROUD of the ginormous sun flower that he grew!

I made a fun desk calendar to enjoy all year long! Here's the front:

And, here's the back:

Isn't this just the cutest line EVER??!! I don't have much of it left, but I might just have to get some more! There's so much more I can do with it!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I'll be back soon to share more of what I've been working on for Best Creation!

So much to share!!

2011-03-20T11:04:00.001-04:00

I have been a bad, bad blogger and haven't been sharing my work with you like I should be. So, it's my mission this week to make up for lost time and share what I've been up to!!

Today, I want to show you what I've been doing for Scrappin' Sports & More. Their Calendars Made Easy line is so much fun and I decided to make a 6''X6" Calendar to use as a gift. But, I am loving it so much, that I might just keep it!! I used the paper and cardstock sticker for each page and now I'm creating 6"X6" mini-layouts for each month. Here are the ones I've done so far!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!! I'll be back later this week to share some more of what I have been doing with you!!

Best Creation Blog Hop!

2011-03-11T03:00:00.003-05:00

How would you like to learn how to create a fun Mini Book out of one 12x12 and be inspired to make 20 different versions of it?

Well get ready to hop- because today on each of our blogs we will share with you some fun and creative ideas to make the simple book we made at the CHA Winter Show.

Go to the BEST CREATION BLOG to begin and see the basic directions on how to make the book. It's SO easy! Then, be sure and leave a comment at the bottom of our Best Creation Blog for a chance to win a huge prize pack of goodies and 3 more chances to win if you sign up to be follower or join us on facebook!

Once you've done that, it's time to HOP along to the BC Designers to see what they've done with this super easy mini-album! And don’t forget to leave comments along the way letting us know how you love all their designs.

BEST CREATION BLOG (start here)

Jona Saavedra
Kim Arledge

Nicole Wise (you're here!)

I'm pretty new to the world of making mini-albums and this is a great album to continue to learn and experiment with. My album is called "It's a Girl's World" and it's about my daughter getting to meet the "girly" characters when we went to Disneyworld last month. She is so excited about this album and can't wait to take it to school and show it to her friends. I decided to keep it simple because, well, that's my style, but also to show you that it doesn't have to be super elaborate- just photos, journaling and pretty Best Creations Paper is all you need!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Make sure to keep on hopping along with the Best Creation Design Team. Your next stop is Jodi Wilton's blog!

Wholly Scrappin' in March!!

2011-03-01T22:04:00.001-05:00

I had a great time designing with the fabulous products from Wholly Scrap! this month! I got to play with GORGEOUS Little Yellow Bicycle papers and some fun Pebble Stickers that worked fabulously with Bo Bunny Double Dot Cardstock!

First of all, the LYB. When I first saw the "Twig" line of paper, I wasn't bowled over. Then, I saw some work that other designers did with it and I fell in love. When I saw it at Wholly Scrap! and they gave it to me to work with I was super excited!!! I did a layout with this same design a few weeks ago and it featured my daugther as a baby. I thought it would be fun to re-do the layout with different photos and a more recent photo of her and see how different it looked. I LOVE how it turned out. The more "mature" papers fit the more "mature" photo perfectly! And, I love how the matching epoxy stickers look in the center of the flowers!

Then, I was asked to work with these super cool Pebbles stickers. I picked up some of the Bo Bunny Double Dot papers that I LOVE to go with them and it was a ton of fun! I remembered these photos of my son that were taken one day in the car while he was sporting his cool new shades and taking himself pretty seriously (until the camera came out) and it was a perfect match! He loves this layout!

If you are in the area of North Hampton, NH, swing on over to Wholly Scrap! and check out all of the goodies! And, if you're not in the area, you can get directions from their website!! ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

All I really need to know about Life, I learned Playing Soccer

2011-02-25T06:00:00.005-05:00

It's time to share some Scrappin' Sports & More work!! I created a fun mini album about my son playing soccer and while I was trying to decide how to do it, it occurred to me how many life lessons there are in soccer- or any sport, for that matter. So, I used several different SS&M soccer papers, some SS&M Soccer Rubons, some black chipboard for the pages and some book rings and it came together quickly!

Products Used:
#1349 The Sport is...Soccer Paper
#1248 Soccer Game Paper
#5530 Soccer Balls Cardstock Stickers
#5541 Soccer Cardstock Stickers
#1336 Sports Head On- Wrestling

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

~Nicole

Fun with Magnolia!!

2011-02-18T17:36:00.000-05:00

One of February's featured manufacturers at A Walk Down Memory Lane is Magnolia! They make some seriously cute stamps that are SO easy to use and FUN to color in! I'm still learning how to use my Copic markers, but I'm getting there. I had great time stamping and coloring this sweet little Tilda stamp! All three of these cards also feature AWDML's other featured manufacturer for February, Imaginisce!

Don't forget- that AWDML always has their featured manufacturer's prodcuts for 25% off for the whole month they are featured! So, hurry over to AWDML to stock up on your Magnolia and Imaginisce products!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Best Creation Blog Hop!

2011-02-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

WELCOME BEST CREATION BLOG HOPPERS!!

We are having our First Blog Hop of the new season today and our theme is "Creating Handmade Spring Flowers" On each blog you will find lots of incredible projects and ways to create and use spring flowers that you can make yourself! In order to win our Grand Prize be sure and collect the kinds of flowers made on each blog and send the list to teresa@bestcreation.us. Also be sure and leave comments along your way on each of our DTs. blogs and especially on the Best Creation blog at the end of the hop. Be sure and check out http://bestcreationinc.blogspot.com/ for the list of prizes you are going to win.

Nicole Wise- You are HERE!!

Hi, everyone! Hopefully you have arrived here from Alicia Barry's blog as you hop your way through the BC Blog Hop!

The flower I am going to show you is called a "Pinched Circle Flower." This is a super quick, super easy flower that you can make in any size you can punch a circle in (for this example, I used a 1" punch)!

First of all, gather your supplies: Cardstock, Circle Punch, Glue (I used Helmar Craft Glue!), Ink, Button.

Next, punch 6 circles and ink the edges of 5 of them. The un-inked circle will be the base that you glue your "petals" to.

Now, turn one of your inked circles over and using your thumbs, pinch to create a small fold in your circle. Then, add your glue to the inside of the fold and pinch until the glue is set. I used Helmar's Craft Glue which dries SUPER fast!!

Repeat the pinching and gluing step with all 5 "petals."

Now, cover your base circle (the un-inked, un-pinched one) with glue. Add your first petal to begin shaping your flower.

Add the remainder of your petals working your way around the circle to form your flower.

Now, add a button to the center of your flower, and it's ready to add to your favorite project!

I took this one step further and added a cardstock sticker from Best Creation's Safari Girl line of paper to the center of the button.

I created four of these Pinched Circle Flowers in three different sizes and used them on the layout below using the Safari Girl line of paper.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today! Be sure to continue hopping along to Katarina Damm's blog for your next flower! And, don't forget to write down all the names of the flowers so that you can send the list to teresa@bestcreation.us to win a fabulous prize pack from Best Creation!

Wholly Scrappin' in January!

2011-01-30T20:51:00.000-05:00

I made the trek to North Hampton, NH today to deliver two new layouts to display at Wholly Scrap! This month's goodies included some CUTE Karen Foster Designs baby papers, some Cored'inations Cardstock and some American Crafts Laser Cut Lace Paper.

First off, the Karen Foster goodies. This is my son who looks NOTHING like this anymore. He's still cute, but I miss those chubby cheeks and fuzzy baby hair! I still call him "Monkey," too!

And, now for the Cored'inations and American Crafts combo! Little Miss thinks that her latest layout is "really pretty" so that's a score, right?!

By the way, I didn't really get straight on shots of either of these layouts. So things (*cough*journaling strips*cough*) that LOOK crooked really aren't. Crooked=lots of paper bag breathing. I can't do it.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'm looking forward to playing with this month's goodies from Wholly Scrap-- Bo Bunny Double Dot Cardstock and some GORGEOUS LYB! I can't wait to dig in!

The Twinery Giveaway!!

2011-01-25T20:32:00.000-05:00

Check out these new colors of Bakers Twine from the Twinery! Aren't they yummy?! They are doing a fabulous giveaway on their blog, too! Check out all the details HERE!

Thanks for stopping by!

It's THAT time of year!

2011-01-17T11:17:00.000-05:00

It's almost time for CHA and for the paper manufacturers to start revealing their new lines that we get to play with this year! Scrappin' Sports and More's new line is called "The Sport is...." and has TONS of sports and activities represented! The first papers that I dove into was the "Fishing" one. The red, white and blue is so easy to work with and it coordinates really well with the other fishing papers that SS&M has! Keep an eye on the SS&M Blog to see other pieces of the line as our Design Team shares them!

Products Used:

#1342- The Sport is Fishing/Hunting

#1309- On the Edge Sports- Fishing

I'll be back soon to share more of what I've been up to! Thanks for stopping by!!

Lookin' Good!!

2011-01-15T18:58:00.000-05:00

Check out my fresh, pretty new blog!! I'm so excited that I got a blog makeover and I want to thank Kassie Garlock of "Designs by Kassie" for her time and expertise. She did an incredible job! And, if you are in the market for a blog makeover, I would give Kassie my HIGEHST reccommendation!

Wholly Scrappin'!!

2011-01-06T17:45:00.000-05:00

I was so excited when I saw the papers that I got from Wholly Scrap this time around! One look and I knew that these Karen Foster and Basic Grey papers would be PERFECT to scrap my kids' school photos! It feels good to be caught up on ONE thing- all the school photos are done!

Colby LOVES to wear ties to school and dress up for any occasion that he decides is "special"! I hope that he never grows out of it!

Miss Elizabeth looks SO grown up in her picture this year. Maybe next year will give us a little backwards leap in time! Here's to hoping!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

2011 is going to be a ROCKIN' Year!!

2011-01-02T14:53:00.000-05:00

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I read the news yesterday! I made it to the Best Creation Design Team! My name is on the list next to some of the industry's most talented designers!

I'm still in shock! I can't wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work! And, just the thought of all of their glitter cardstock makes me so very happy!

Thanks for stopping by!

I {heart} Echo Park!

2011-01-02T12:18:00.000-05:00

Echo Park Paper Co. is one of the fabulous featuered Manufacturers at A Walk Down Memory Lane this month! I am currently working with their Wintertime line and I am LOVING it!

Here's a couple of layouts that I did:

All of the featured manufacturers at AWDML, they are 25% off for the whole month they are featured, so this month, you can save on all in stock Echo Park and Lawn Fawn Stamps! Have fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Top 10 of 2010!

2010-12-28T11:56:00.001-05:00

As the year 2010 winds to a close, I took a look back at some of the work I have accomplished this year. While I know that not EVERY layout will be my favorite, I am very happy with how my work has grown over the year. I have had the pleasure of working on several design teams this year that have pushed me to work outside my comfort zone, and for that I am so very grateful!

I wanted to take a moment to share my top 10 favorite layouts of 2010! I encourage all of my scrappy friends to do the same! I can't wait to see what you see as your favorite work!

In no particular order....

Thanks so much for stopping by! This has been a fabulous year and I can't wait to see what 2011 brings! Wishing you all health, happiness and of course, SCRAPPINESS!

JustRite Stamps!

2010-12-28T11:43:00.000-05:00

A Walk Down Memory Lane is featuring JustRite Stamps this month! These stamps are different than any other stamps I've used- they have their own system of attaching to the stamp base and their circular patterns are really fun to use and work great for altering gifts! The Christmas Set was exactly what I needed for putting the finishing touches on some gifts that I made to give away this year!

As this month's featured manufacturer, you get 25% off JustRite Stamps for the whole month of December! And, don't forget that The Girls' Paperie is December's other featured manufacurer so you can enjoy the 25% savings on all of their in stock products, as well! Have fun!

It's Game Time!!!

2010-12-09T20:31:00.000-05:00

My kids LOVE to play board games! Life, Monopoly, Cards- Anything!! When I saw this paper from Scrappin' Sports & More, I knew it would be perfect! It's from their "Young and Active" line and it's all about Board Games! The fun, primary colors make it so "kid friendly." The front side of the paper is the "game board" and the back side has all of the "cards." I cut the cards out to make a nice little hand of cards to use as an embellishment. I also cut out the dice and popped them with some foam tape, and the blue deck of cards, as well! The rub-ons are fabulous, too! Such great colors!! I love how this layout came out!

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Wholly Scrappin'!

2010-12-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

I want to share with you the work that I for Wholly Scrap! this month! I had a blast playing with Fancy Pants and TCP papers! And, you can see these layouts up close and in person hanging in the store in North Hampton, NH- stop on by!

This layout was inspired by Fancy Pants DT Member, Seppa Gubler. I love how these colors work with the black and white photos! Red and Green doesn't always have to be for Christmas!

These TCP papers made it so fun and easy to scrap my anual "playing in the leaves" photos! The papers have a really cool irridescent sheen to them that is unlike anything I've worked with before. The photos really don't do it justice! This is created using a sketch by Kim Holmes.

TCP has some FUN new lines out- a great school line and a super-cute cooking line. Run to Wholly Scrap! in North Hampton, NH and check them out in person!

Thanks for stopping by!!

It's beginning to look a lot like.....

2010-12-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

...CHRISTMAS!!! What else??!! It's the first of the month and I have the pleasure of sharing some new work with you! In this post, I'll share with you the work I did with the first of this month's featured manufacturer's at A Walk Down Memory Lane. This month we get to play with goodies from The Girls' Paperie! I played with their brand new Tinsel & Twig line. It's so pretty and so versatile!! It can fit clean, simple designs, vintage designs and looks beautiful with all kinds of distressing, too!

The first layout also features this months featured layout sketch at My Sketch World. Be sure to stop by over there to check out the sketch and what the rest of the DT did with it!

This one features the same line of paper with some distressing and lots of stitching!

And, Christmas isn't complete with out a card, or two! This one features this month's featured Card Sektch from My Sketch World!

Be sure to stop by A Walk Down Memory Lane to check out the 12 Days of Christmas!! It's 12 Days of Holiday Tutorials by the design team, and a new sale each day, too! And, don't forget that, as this month's featured manufacturer, The Girls' Paperie is 25% off for the whole month of December. We will be featuring Just Rite Stamps, as well! Check them out and get 25% off all month, as well!

I hope that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas where you are, too! Thanks for stopping by!

Be Thankful...

2010-11-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

I came across this poem online and I thought that it was an incredible lesson for my children on the simple things in life that they should be thankful for- things that they might not always remember to be thankful for. I paired it with this great photo of them together and these beautiful papers from Scrappin' Sports & More and this layout came together. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

SS&M Products Used:
#1095- Young & Active in the Back Yard: Tire Swing
#1321- Sports Head On: Bowling

The Quest for Perfection

2010-11-21T18:00:00.001-05:00

This layout is from this summer and was published in and issue of Scrapbook News & Review. I have a bit of an "issue" with marshmallow toasting- it HAS to be perfect. And, the addition of a fire pit to our back yard this summer only allowed me to practice more, NOT to lower my standards! So, in this one last rememberance of summer (since it's supposted to SNOW this week!), let us just admire some Marshmallow Perfection!

If you would like to be pubslished in Scrapbook News & Review Magazine, check out the calls for the January issue HERE and submit! SNR is a fabulous online publication that is chock full of inspiration! Check it out!!

Thanks for stopping by!

I've got Sunshine!

2010-11-14T09:21:00.000-05:00

June 2009 was the wettest month I have ever lived through! We spent the first three weeks of summer vacation looking out the window at the rain and wishing we could go out and play. One day, I gave the kids the OK to put on their ponchos and go out and play in the rain! They splashed and sloshed and laughed and played until they were soaked through and had a BLAST! Mother Nature might have made it wet and soggy outside, but we weren't going to let it dampen our spirits!
I got this wonderful photo of my kids that day, and I have been waiting for just the right opportunity to scrap it. Scrappin' Sports & More's August Calendar paper is PERFECT for this layout! Check out the super cute SUNS on the background paper!

Products Used:
#1286 -Calendars Made Easy- August

Thanks so much for stopping by today. If you have made any projects with the Calendars Made Easy papers, feel free to leave a comment linking us to your blog! We'd love to see them!!

One Fall Day....

2010-11-12T21:03:00.000-05:00

As I looked out on my yard that desperately needs to be raked- it made me think of this photo. My daughter thinks that playing in the leaves is WAY more fun than raking them! She's got the right idea!!

I created this LO using a sketch by Pamela Young at Scrapbook Challenges. We are featuring Pamela's sketches on the AWDML forum this week. We post daily questions, challenges and sketches and if you are missing it- you are missing a LOT!

I loved working with the Bella Blvd. "One Fall Day" papers for this, as well. And, the name of the paper inspired the title.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~~Nicole~~

From this moment....

2010-11-06T15:07:00.000-04:00

Drum roll...... Here is the other layout that I created for display at Wholly Scrap in North Hampton, NH this month. The papers from Creative Imaginations are gorgeous and I am so pleased with how this layout came out! The rolled cardstock roses were made using my Nestibilities dies and are so pretty! It's hard to believe it's been over eleven years since this photo was taken!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Feel free to swing by the Wholly Scrap store to see this layout up close and in person....oh, and have a little fun shopping while you are there- there are SO many goodies!!!

A new Sketch AND a new Design Team!

2010-11-03T20:57:00.000-04:00

Today I get to share with you the November sketches from My Sketch World AND spill the beans on a new Design Team position that I am super excited about!

I used some fabulous Basic Grey prodcuts from Wholly Scrap in North Hampton, NH to create this layout using the November Sketch from My Sketch World. Aren't the colors just gorgeous? And, of course the sweet baby girl couldn't get any cuter! She is my friend's little girl and she is just a doll! Wholly Scrap carries the Bo Bunny Double-Dot cardstock that I LOVE, too! And, it works perfectly with the Basic Grey paper! Of course, Lucy's sketch made this LO come together just beautifully. And, since I am now on the Design Team at Wholly Scrap (*happy dance*) you can see this layout live and in person hanging in their store! Check out their website to get directions on how to get there! It's a great store full of goodies and they teach quite a few great classes there, too!

My Sketch World features a layout AND a card sketch on the first of the month. I know it's after Halloween, but this card was so fun to make with Echo Park's Halloween line! Check it out:

I'll be back in a few days to share my other layout that is now on display at Wholly Scrap. It's so pretty it deserves it's own post! Hee hee!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy November!!

2010-11-01T20:57:00.000-04:00

I love the 1st of the month because I have so much fun stuff to share with you!! Today I want to share with you my fun work using Karen Foster Designs, this month's featured manufacturer at A Walk Down Memory Lane. Karen Foster Designs has tons of different themed papers to choose from, and they are anything from tooth fairy to football and birthdays to calendar papers. And, she has several kits all put together.

I used the "Tooth Fairy Line" to create this layout about my sweet baby boy losing his front tooth.

I made a simple set of cards with the Birthday Bash kit:

And, I made this layout about Colby and his special, surprise birthday balloons! They were from the "Birthday Fairy!" We don't have ANY idea who it was....was it YOU??!!!

All in stock Karen Foster Designs products are 25% off for the whole month of November at AWDML! Happy shopping!!

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-30T19:25:00.000-04:00

Here's to hoping that your Halloween is full of more Treats than Tricks! I wanted to share with you some fun treat boxes that I made for the Halloween Spooktacular Newsletter event at Scrapbook News & Review. They were super fun and pretty easy to make. The basic box can be used for any holiday or event.

Speaking of Scrapbook News & Review, they are still taking submissions for their Holiday Sampler issue. Click HERE to check out the calls and SUBMIT!! SNR is a fabulous online magazine and I'm honored to be on their staff!

Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon!

Fun Fall Layouts!

2010-10-23T14:01:00.000-04:00

There's something about scrapping fall layouts that just makes me smile- apple picking, pumpkin carving, soccer and Halloween! They are all so fun! Here are two layouts that I have recently created with those fun fall themes!

"Fall Harvest" features a sketch by Becky Fleck and some fabulous Imaginisce Apple Cider Papers!

"Goal Keeper" features a fabulous Inspiration Team Sketch by Lucy Chesna at My Sketch World and the super cool soccer papers from Scrappin' Sports & More!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you come back soon!

BOO!

2010-10-18T21:31:00.000-04:00

It's time to start thinking about Halloween and I was in that kind of mood when I worked on Lucy Chesna's card sketch for the "Inspiration Station" at My Sketch World. The Inspiration Station is when we take one of Lucy's sketch and use it a little differently by turning it, adding elements, subtracting elements, etc. The sketch for this card is based on the October 1st card sketch and then rotated to the right. You can see some more ideas to do with Lucy's sketches on her blog and the MSW Forum.

Here's my card:

I'm loving the new Halloween line from Echo Park! It's so much fun! Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon!

Going Card Crazy!!

2010-10-16T18:55:00.001-04:00

I have been having some fun making some cards lately! Woodware USA Stamps are the featured stamp manufacturer at AWDML this month. I got to play with thier "School Tots" set and my Copic Markers! I am by no means a pro at this Copic thing, but I'm getting there!

This card was created for Scrappin' Sports & More. I was inspired by a challenge that my good friend Suzann had posted at My Sketch World. I painted some white cardstock with red paint, dried it with my heat gun and then ran it through an embosser. Then, I sanded some of the paint off so that the embosssed design "popped" out. I finished it with some of the December Calendars Made Easy papers from Scrappin' Sports & More and I had a finished card that would be very easy to reproduce for Christmas cards!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I have really enjoyed watching my new Feejit gadget on my blog and seeing where my vistors are from- both NEAR and FAR! I'm so glad you all are visiting me, and I hope you are finding some inspiration! Come back soon!

Totally Tubluar TV Crop!!

2010-10-16T18:40:00.000-04:00

Check out the Totally Tubular TV Crop at A Walk Down Memory Lane this weekend! There's lots of great challenges, games and PRIZES!!! The fun is underway and it's only happening until Monday night, so hurry over and join in!

Bask-n-Glow...

2010-10-02T19:17:00.000-04:00

...in your own Scrappy glory!!!

A Walk Down Memory Lane is hosting the “Bask-N-Glow” contest. The message board has been re-organized and we are starting fun new daily challenges and activities. And we wanted to have a contest for you to help celebrate with us. The prize is a MME prize package AND a store gift certificate!!

How do you participate? We want you to Bask-n-glow in your own creative glory! This contest involves you posting your favorite 3 layouts or projects (or more) in our gallery and have some fun participating on our forum over a 2 week period. To get all the details, get on over to AWDML, register and then jump right in. The contest starts October 1st and runs through October 15th . Looking forward to seeing all there!

Inspiration Station!!

2010-09-29T22:17:00.000-04:00

Lucy has a FUN new team at My Sketch World called the "Inspiration Team!" This team is devoted to playing with Lucy's sketches in new and different ways. My assignment for Septemeber was to take the September 1st sketch and rotate it to the right. Other team members have different assignments such as rotating it left, adding or subtracting photos and elements, etc. Keep your eye on the MSW blog and the MSW forum for all the details on what the Inspiration Team is up to!

Here is my take on the Septemer Layout Sketch rotated to the right:

And here is my take on the September Card Sketch rotated to the right:

Thanks for stopping by!!

It's All About the Numbers...

2010-09-19T10:22:00.001-04:00

Scrappin' Sports & More is hosting a sketch challenge this month on their blog! The beautiful and wonderfully talented Lucy Chesna created the sketch for us and it's a GREAT one! It's so versatile and just perfect for use with the SS&M Papers. Check out the sketch and the details of the contest HERE.

Here is the layout that I created to go with the sketch. I changed it to one photo (instead of two), and flip-flopped a few of the elements to work with my photo and came up with a layout that I'm really happy with. And, more importantly to me, my son is just thrilled with it!

SS&M Products Used:
#1330-Sports Head On- Soccer (soccer balls)
#1329- Sports Head On- Racing (white/gray)
#1336-Sports Head On- Wrestling (black/gray)

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope that you will come again, soon!

Masking Madness!!

2010-09-14T22:25:00.000-04:00

The design team at A Walk Down Memory Lane is offering tips and techniques related to masking on the DT Blog every Tuesday this month. I shared the technique whereby you put down non-dimensional (flat) alpha stickers and then rub ink over them with a make-up sponge or other blending tool. Then, simply peel up your stickers and viola! You have a fun new look to your project! I used this masking technique both in the title and journaling of my layout! Here it is....

Life is Good:

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Graphic 45 Contest at AWDML!!

2010-09-10T19:18:00.000-04:00

Check out the A Walk Down Memory Lane Design Team Blog for all of the details of a contest sponsored by Graphic 45! All you have to do is create a layout using 60% Graphic 45 products, share it on your blog and link your blog post to the Mr. Linky on the AWDML DT Blog all by midnight on September 30th. Be sure to check out all of the details HERE!

Oh, and don't forget that all Graphic 45 products are 25% off for the whole month of September at A Walk Down Memory Lane! Have fun!!

2010-09-08T22:25:00.001-04:00

Anyone who knows me will hit the floor when I announce that I MADE A MINI ALBUM! There are those that never thought they'd see the day! But, I did it and I almost dare to say that I am hooked! I saw the cutest chipboard album that was in the shape of a baseball cap at a local scrapbook store's going out of business sale. ( So sad to see another LSS close... ) When I saw the album, it screamed "Scrappin' Sports and More" at me! So, I printed out the photos of my son's tee ball season, covered the pages mostly with the new "Sports Head On" papers, added some Scrappin' Sports and More Cardstock Stickers, added a few captions and a little bit-o-journaling and BAM- I actually did it! So, here you go!
(You can click on each page to see it bigger!)

The Cover:

Pages 1 and 2:

Pages 3 and 4:

Pages 5 and 6:

Pages 7 and 8:

Back Cover:

Scrappin' Sports and More Products Used:
#1335 Sports Head On- Watersports (blue)
#1336 Sports Head On- Wrestling (black/gray)
#1320 Sports Head On- Basketball (brown)
#1325 Sports Head On- Golf (green)
#5526 Cardstock Stickers Baseballs
#1175 Defining the Game- Competition (stars)
#1005 Defining the Game- Baseball (words)

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my album! Come back again soon!

Sharing some Scrappy Fun!

2010-09-04T15:47:00.001-04:00

Just getting caught up today with some fun projects that I haven't shared here yet!

First up is this super fun layout that was in the Sketch section of the July issue of Scrapbook News and Review. The Cosmo Cricket paper worked PERFECTLY for it and I LOVE how this one turned out.

These next two were created for the "Cramfest" crop at Scrapbook Deals 4U (which has JUST become Scrapbook Dasies) . The challenges were pretty hard, but I was pretty happy with what I came up with.

In Your Eyes:

And this one was also used for the "Z" challenge at the My Sketch World ABC Crop. Z was for Zebra and the challenge was to create a layout using only black, white and one other color.

Fun in the Pool:

This one was also done for SNR in the July Issue and was for one of the sketches:

Splash Zone:

And the last one was also for SNR (I think way back in June) and I don't even remember what the call was. I told ya I had to get chaught up! LOL!

Makin' A Splash:

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you will come again soon!

Graphic 45!!!

2010-09-02T23:07:00.000-04:00

The featured paper manufacturer at A Walk Down Memory Lane this month is Graphic 45! I have to admit that I was pretty apprehensive about working with it because it's not my "style." But, once I got it and got to work, it acutally fell into place beautifully! I have only played with the "A Proper Gentleman" line so far but plan to tackle "Boardwalk" this weekend! And, don't forget-- AWDML's featured manufacturers are 25% off for the whole month! That means that Graphic 45 and Stampendous are both a GREAT deal this month! Be sure to check it out!

Here are some projects that I created with Graphic 45 so far...

Handsome Boy:

Julius (an altered frame featuring the gorgeous baby boy of some friends at school):

Wanted Card (couldn't we all use a "service man" once in a while?!)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!!

Here Fishy, Fishy!

2010-08-27T10:05:00.000-04:00

This is one of my FAVORITE photos of my sweet boy! He was about three years old when this was taken and my parents lived on a lake where he LOVED to go fishing. He even had his speical fishing hat! When I saw Scrappin' Sports & More's new fishing paper from their Head On Sports line, I knew just what to do with it! I used the back side of the paper for the blue background and cut the bobbers out from the front to use as the perfect accents to the page.

Here Fishy, Fishy!

Thanks for visitng today!

ABC Cards!

2010-08-20T19:01:00.000-04:00

The My Sketch World ABC Crop is still ROCKIN' ON at the MSW Forum. I wanted to share a couple more cards that I made for the crop!

This one is for "I is for Ink." I misted the white cardstock with "Denim Blue" Glimmer Mist and then colored my stamped image with my new Copic Markers and added a few dots with my trusty Signo pen. Isn't she CUTE?!

This one is for "G is for Girly Green." I used some gorgeous Cosmo Cricket Everafter Papers and the GORGEOUS butterfly from Zva creative. There is a red one and a blue one still left! ;)

If you haven't stopped over to check out the MSW crop, I would encourage you to come on by! We have over 60 people participating in the crop so far and almost 500 projects added to the Gallery!!! What are you waitng for??!

Thanks for stopping by!

Loving the Unity Stamps!!!

2010-08-18T23:41:00.000-04:00

This month at A Walk Down Memory Lane, our featured stamp manufacturer is Unity Stamps! I loved the set that I got to work with and I look forward to playing more with them! I even used papers from this month's featured paper manufacturer, Bo Bunny!

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget that all of our featured manufacturers are 25% off for the month that they are featured! And, on top of that, Lisa has the WHOLE STORE marked at 15% off to make room for all of the yummy CHA goodies that are arriving daily! Happy Shopping!! ;)

Having FUN!!

2010-08-15T10:28:00.000-04:00

I've been scrapping my little heart out this week and made some layouts that I'm really happy with! They fit challenges at a few different websites, which is always good, too!

Miss Elizabeth turned 8 this week, and I took a photo of her the day of her birthday. I used the fabulous Imaginisce Lucy Bird Papers (available at A Walk Down Memory Lane) and the monthly Imaginisce Sketch, as well. I was also inspired by a challenge at Scrapbook Deals 4U and wouldn't have even taken this photo, if it weren't for the photo challenges at Dixie Pieces! Phew!

This layout was also inspired by a challenge at Scrapbook Deals 4U! It also fits for the D is for Dots challenge at My Sketch World. And, it uses the exclusive A Walk Down Memory Lane sketch by Kim Holmes that is only available to subscribers to the AWDML Newsletter. This is one of those times where it's so much cuter in person and the photo doesn't do it justice. (Dear Santa, I have been a good girl. Please bring me a scanner!).

I hope you are having a FABULOUS day! Thanks for stopping by!