Giant Tortoise in the Color Room

I hope you are wearing shades because this week's palette at the Color Room is bright bright bright.  It is summer in Australia and I hear that it's been scorching hot!  I bet that's what inspired Lydell with this palette, lol.  Hmm... who else is hungry looking at the sushi?! 

I used some of my most favorite and beloved products from my stash. I have hoarded this adorable die-cut sheet from Crate Paper for over two years now. It looks great paired with Studio Calico's elementary paper in the background. The piece of burlap just happened to be on my table so I used it to have to see it again, lol.  I used my Cricut and Birthday Bash cartridge for the giant letters. I am trying to incorporate more Cricut usage into my projects because the cartridges get cuter and cuter with every release. Since I don't plan to stop purchasing new cartridges, I will use them :)

I added some chipboard clouds from Crate Paper, sigh... they are adorable! If you are ever in the Black Hills area in South Dakota and have kids with you, the Reptile Gardens is a must-visit.  I thought it would be cheesy and boring.  I was totally wrong!!  There were many interesting exhibits and one of my favorites is this one in the layout.  Those things are huge!! I was a bit scared to touch them but not the kids :)

I imagine this is my last post in 2010.  I wish you a very happy new year and a safe weekend! 

Bye Innocence...

Christmas break is over and tomorrow is back to reality :) I did scrapbook a little bit over the break, here is my final official project for My Favorite Things as Kim has decided to discontinue the Arts and Scraps Team. I have really enjoyed using MFT products and I think I'll be using my favorite Pure Innocence gal for a long time to come!!

Right before Christmas, I took advantage of a free shipping offer and ordered myself three kits from Sweet Peach Crop Shop.  Just now, I popped over and their January kit is up, oy, another irresistible kit! This layout is done using their October kit.  I quite adore the combination of Echo Park and American Crafts in that kit!

I am still learning to color a shadow around the main subject: the Pure Innocence gal from My Favorite Things.  It looks okay from afar :)  There's only one month left until CHA winter. I look forward to going and I really hope to run into a lot of you there!  Please look for me and the short blondie :) 

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Time!  Glad tidings to you and yours! Here are a couple of projects from me to share.  This card is published in Create: Christmas Cards.  I made it with scraps from the mini-album you see on the left :)  I didn't want to throw away the windows I hollowed out, so I thought I would use them on a card with a few buttons and a couple of SRM stickers :)  To my great delight, it made into the idea book under the fast and simple cards section. 

This card uses Best Creations papers, My Favorite Things stamp: Snow Day, and a simple SRM Stickers' sticker sentiment.

We are off to the Grandparents for a present opening marathon! Thank you so much for taking time and visiting in the busy holidays, may God bless you and yours!

From My Family to Yours!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I'm Going to Winter CHA 2011

I have succumbed to peer pressure and will be going to Winter CHA 2011 in L.A. with Ms. Middlecamp.  So if you are going, please let me know, I want to make sure that I get to meet you in person!  We will not be hard to spot, just look for a really really really short blonde with really short hair next to an average height Chinese woman with really short hair. Chances are good that we would be bickering with each over.  Yeah, like I said, it won't be hard to spot us.  LOL!

I have yet to make it to the mall. Already a reluctant driver, I am pretty much terrified of driving in the snow.  Getting to and from work is all I can handle.  So I guess it's going to be slim picking for this family this Christmas, lol.  Meanwhile, I sit here dreaming of a tropical vacation, sigh... Here is a layout I did using Midnight Rooster's December kit, Scarlet and Rhet.

I used the Studio Calico's Fabrips strip to hold together the tiny banner cut out from Girl's Paperie's paper.  A few buttons for accent, pretty cute.

That's it really.  Again, if you are going to CHA, please let me know!! 

The Ace

Time to share another Midnight Rooster layout for December.  The photos were taken at Uncle Steve's last winter.  They had a chess match. I don't remember who won but those photos record just how seriously she takes her chess games, lol. 

I am a very frugal/cheap scrapper.  This sheet of paper from Crate is hollowed so I could harvest its backside of the vintage playing cards :)  Please tell me someone else does this besides me?!

 

The MME buttons from its Lost and Found collection came on this adorable card and I used it to frame a photo, making it the focal point. 

Well, Christmas is only a week away.  The weather has been so cold here, I can't imagine how long and dreadful this winter will be now that the Vikings have collapsed in every way imaginable and unimaginable.  There is always scrapbooking right? :)

Pastels Overfloweth

The palette this week at the Color Room is so pastel that I immediately thought of the Shabby Green Door papers I received from Scrapbook and Cards Today. 

I used a set of stamps from My Favorite Things: Inspired by Caged Bird.  I stamped the diamond pattern in blue chalk ink onto the background paper.  It's very subtle and totally pastel!  However, it's just not dusty enough like it is on the palette, sigh...  :)  Of course I added the fun bird to match the other elements on the patterned paper already. 

I mostly followed Lydell's sketch.  The leaves were using a Cricut cartridge, Give a Hoot.  I must say that the Cricut cartridges of the last couple of years have gotten cuter and cuter.  Now a couple of years into a Cricut ownership, I can honestly say that I have no regrets and that I would buy the Cricut Expression all over again.

An Ornament to Make with Your Kids

Since we got 15 inches of snow (At least we didn't get 22 inches like elsewhere in the Cities!), I thought the kids and I can make a fun ornament. 

The final count of flowers rolled: Mama: , First Born: 0, Second Child: 0.

Yeah, not an ornament to make with your kids!

That is not to say that you shouldn't give this a try!  Use the My Favorite Things Rolled Rose Die, a foam ball, and some pins, and you can make this ornament yourself!  Just make sure you have a couple or three hours on hand, lol. 

I totally adore the final result.  It is so extremely pretty.  I went into my stash of favorite scraps and used a ton of October Afternoon's Very Merry, Collage Press' Joy Ride, Cosmo Cricket's Jolly by Holly, and a little Imaginisce. 

I started with a foam ball and the scraps of paper.  After die-cutting the paper, I rolled up the roses.  Then I used nearly a box of pearl head pins to pin the roses onto the foam ball.  Finally, I found a small piece of scrap ribbon and pinned it onto the ball to use as the hanger :)  Oh my gosh, I'm' proud of my ornament 2010, lol.  I feel crafty, oh so crafty, I feel crafty witty and light... lol.  Cheers everyone!

An Ode to Moss Green

So JJ, were you trying to kill us with the pea soup moss green?  Why, yes, I was.

I may have overdone it with the greens here.  I was actually going for that mostly green look, so I guess I succeeded wildly on that point alone, lol!

This month at the Color Room, we are featuring Purple Onion Designs stamps.  On this page, I used "What's the Point."  I love this set so much that I have turned into an emoticon to use at work.  It's so freaking hilarious, whenever a co-worker ask me who what when or why, I flash the image of all the finger pointing, seriously, hilarious!  Next time I will try it on the Bozzlady when she asks for something... on a second thought, better not, lol. 

My current reality is far from the greens, that's for sure!  We got 15 inches of snow at my house over the weekend.  Some suburbs got 22 inches! Minneapolis got 18 inches, enough to collapse the Metrodome, oy. DH has shoveled enough so one of our cars can get out.  It'll be tomorrow when he digs out the rest of the driveway.

Before I go, Karen B is the winner of the Midnight Rooster mini-kit giveaway!  Congrats Karen, please email your info to michelle.burry@sbcglobal.net and she will get the kit out to you!!

December for the Rooster

Well folks, it's time for December's Midnight Rooster mini-kit giveaway!!  Are you ready?  Check it out ->

Now to be entered into the monthly drawing, I need some suggestions for Christmas ideas for me, the scrappy kind.  I'll be buying the "gifts" myself of course, bottom line: wanna spend some money, what should I buy? LOL.

Here is a layout I did using Midnight Rooster's December kit.  I quite adore this photo.  She just looked beautiful and that's all I really cared to scrapped and remember. 

I used a die-namics die from My favorite Things to roll these rosettes.  You can find it here. I glued the bottom with some Helmar 450 quick dry and set them under some heavy things hoping to flatten them just a tiny bit, lol.  Of course, let's not forget my favorite PI gal, holding a sweet apple, looking oh so cute!  You can find her here. 

That's it folks, now don't forget, scrappy gifts suggestions for yours truly... :)  You have till the end of the day Saturday.

Work in Progress and SRM Stickers

In case you have not gotten your hands on the Cosmo Circa 1934 papers yet, Trish put together a beautiful kit at WIP, and you can check it out here. 

Here is a layout that even managed to get on Cosmo's blog, that's always a treat for me.  Look at these pictures, I can't remember when the grass was last green!!  Just six more long months to go, and we can be outside again without layers of clothing, so exciting! LOL. 

 I used SRM Stickers' Sticker Sentiments - Birthday. The whole layout was inspired by that vintage road sign 3 from the Cosmo papers.  Who doesn't like a ready-made title, eh? :)

I also made this card using SRM Stickers' Sticker Sentiments - Thank you.  SRM Stickers is having a design team call for 2011.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my year with SRM Stickers.  The team is well organized: assignments given out a month in advance, clear instructions, and quick turn-around on DT's questions.  SRM Stickers is also extremely generous with their products for the design team members.  Throughout the year, we have been on the receiving end of many manufacturers' generosity through SRM Stickers: Cosmo Cricket, BoBunny, SEI, Marvy Uchida, Penny Black, Basic Grey, Pink Paislee...  So seriously, do not wait another second, the time to apply is NOW!

Helmar Holiday 2010 Blog Hop

Welcome to the Helmar holiday 2010 blog hop! 
Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.  When you read, you begin with A B C. When you blog hop, you start at the Helmar's home.
Please watch my video for a quick demonstration of Helmar's Remove Cleaner.

Thank you so much for hopping! Your next stop on the blog hop is Lydell Quin!

The Color Room and Purple Onion Designs

This month at the Color Room, we are featuring projects with Purple Onion Designs!  I go way way way back with POD stamps :)  My very first kit club subscription was with a club called "Self Addressed" and they featured POD stamps in every kit.  Fast forward to 2010, Midnight Rooster has also featured POD stamps in their last six kits, so my collection has grown substantially this year :)

Michele from POD is generously sponsoring the Color Room design team as well as a lucky participant in December.  So get yourself to try out a palette or five in December and have a chance to win a pile of POD stamps worth over $60!!!

DH is a wonderful man.  He holds up the pumpkin just so I have scrapping materials, lol.  We did go with the intention of getting a pumpkin but it was slim picking by the time we were there, oh well.  You see that I did not deviate from the sketch much.  It's a very unique looking sketch so I just did a literal take.  Used up some Tim Holtz grungeboard swirls, woohoo, stash reduction!

The star stamps are from POD, it came in the "Wanted" set, love it!!  That's about it for now. I am off to Body Pump, it hurts me so badly and yet I'm addicted :)

Family, Circa 1934

Welcome to the SRM Stickers blog hop.  Please be sure to start at the beginning of this blog hop chez SRM Stickers. 

Circa 1934 is a classic and vintage line by Cosmo Cricket.  My favorite sheet is the one with the big numbers even though I did not use it here on this particularly layout.  The kids were just having some fun in the backyard when I snapped these photos.  Indeed, I hope they will always stay close as friends.  I am particularly fascinated by the subject of sisterhood or sibling-hood for that matter, as I am not one myself :) 

I used the 53003 We've Got Your Stickers - Sweet by SRM Stickers on my layout. The stickers add a perfect touch to the layout.  I hope you get yourself a sheet or ten!

In case you still haven't gotten your hands on some Circa 1934 by Cosmo, check out the Work in Progress kit club's November kit. Ah... yes!

Your next stop on this hop is chez Gina Hanson. Thank you for hopping and I hope to see you again soon.