Super Hero Style

I wish I were a Super Hero! This has been quite a week/month/year - I hope I make it through! My computer has crashed, so I am using my super slow laptop (that hasn't been used in over a year since it's such a pain), but thanks to post scheduling, I won't be disappearing from my blog anytime soon. I still have the rest of this month's Design Team work to share, plus I have been scrapping a lot lately - it helps relieve my stress! Thanks for sticking with me even though I am not able to return the sweet comments.

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Just a quick (but not complete) update - yesterday the two youngest kids were scheduled for their yearly check-ups at the doctor. Brailee went to her cousin's birthday party after lunch and got home about 45 minutes before her appointment. Shortly after getting home she started crying about her ear - she was clearly in pain and I just knew it was an ear infection. Out of all our kids, she has had them the worst - when she was a baby she had a run of them about one a month. We thought we were past that, though as I don't think she has had one for over a year...until now, that is. Usually our doctor visits go so well (even with the shots) but yesterday was a different story. Brailee was hurting and tired (she fell asleep on the way to the appointment) so she was a pill at first, plus it was a fill-in doctor since ours is on vacation, and a new nurse, so I don't think that helped either. After a while she finally got happy again and played with her sisters...but then it was shot time. She only cried for about 30 seconds but she wasn't too happy with me for letting them give her a shot. Oh, and sure enough, it was an ear infection. Trysten wasn't too happy at the doctor's office either - his nap schedule was off yesterday so he was tired as well. He also has at least 3 or 4 new teeth coming in, and on Sunday as we were getting ready for church, he fell and bumped his mouth and tore his frenulum (sp?) so his mouth is pretty sore and makes him cranky! So he wasn't too happy at the doctor, and then he got his shots too - boy that made him mad! We were only there for about an hour but I was glad to get out of there! Luckily David was just getting home from work when we got out so I dropped off all the kids and went to the pharmacy for Brailee's antibiotic. So, anyway, sometimes I just wish I were a Super Mom who could make it all better ;-)

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Anyway, enough rambling - here is what I came to share this morning. This was a page I did for the last PageMaps Blog contest, but thanks to my computer crashing, I was unable to get it uploaded in time for the contest deadline. I just checked out the winners - they are amazing - I never stood a chance anyway ;-P Here is the sketch used - I rotated it once to fit my pics.

I love these Let's Get Together papers - but you'd never know they were a favorite of mine since this one and Brailee's Birthday Girl pages that I posted earlier this week are the first ones I've done with them - and I've had the papers for over a year now! I want to re-do my journaling spot - the buttercup ink didn't show the journaling lines as well as I would have liked, and my Garden Green marker is going dry so it all just didn't work well together. This was the first time I've used the new Irresistables Color-Ready Alphabets and they are so much fun. I do love these pictures of Kaylee - they make me smile! So I do love the page - just need to order a new marker and fix my journaling spot...eventually!

Products Used (all CTMH): Let's Get Together papers, Posterboard Alphabet stamp set, Doodle Alphabet stamp set, Comments stamp set, Simple Stitches stamp set, Irresistables Lots of Dots (sticker letters), sponged with Breeze ink, Autumn Garden mini medleys (Olive Corduroy Brads)

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Thanks for looking - and thanks for your sweet comments, they really brighten my day!

Challenge #101

This is the first week of my Design Team run on the Sketches! {by tamara} blog! I had so much fun with this month's challenges, so be sure to check back every Tuesday for that week's challenge - I hope you'll play along!

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This week's challenge is a layout sketch:

I used this sketch to work on Trysten's calendar - I am so far behind, he's going to be one this month! At least I've been pretty good about keeping the journaling side updated!

Instead of journaling strips I took a border stickease and cut it up. Don't you just love the touch of drool on Trysten's chin in this picture ;-) He is such a slobbery little boy and he only has two teeth to show for it! He does finally have his top two starting to poke through now, but all my other kids had a lot more teeth than this by the time they were one!

To see what the rest of the Design Team has done with this week's sketch, just click here.

Thanks for visiting!

Inspiration Journal

I've had this notebook sitting around for a few years and I finally decided to put it to good use, so I altered it last week and turned it into an Inspiration Journal. I used a card sketch from Wishes called Confidential, Emporium papers, Checklist stamp set, Simple Stitches stamp set, various CTMH ribbons, and here's another little sneak peek at the stamp set that comes in the Felicity kit that will be available starting December 15th!

I made a little pocket on the inside of the front and back covers - instead of using the Simple Stitches stamp set I used a piercing tool and Cocoa marker to do some faux stitching. I decided that was too time consuming to do on the cover so that's when I decided to use the stamp set instead!

I'm looking forward to filling up my notebook with lots of inspiration - it will be nice to have it all in one place where I know where to find it!
Thanks for looking!

Another Calendar Page for Trysten

Here are the super quick pages that I did for the second month of Trysten's Baby Calendar. Click here to view the first pages. I used a Stardust Level 1 page (I hardly ever use the Level 1 pages, but I really loved this one), Stickease, and Rustic Numbers and Simple Stitches stamp set. I heat embossed the Simple Stitches with White Daisy EP, which is the only thing that took more than a couple of minutes - the rest of it went together really fast. So I'm glad to say that Trysten has two more pages - since I count the calendar side as a journaling page ;-P

{ETA: This is also my sample for this month's Reflection's Challenge - I am working on getting the challenges posted, I promise!}

Altered VHS Cases

Here are some projects that I have been working on for the last few weeks - I didn't want to post any until I got them ALL done and in the mail. The project got delayed by our house rearrangement, but I finally got them all sent out early last week, so hopefully they have all received them so I'm not spoiling anything ;-) These are some altered VHS cases that I made for some of my blogging/stamping friends - these are gals who have sent me fun cards and stamped images or have just been a huge support to me since I started my blog. I made my first maybe a couple years ago and still had a stash of cases to use, and since I don't have any fun images to stamp and return the favor, I decided these would be fun. I use mine as a tool box for my scrapping supplies - just a fun way to hold scissors, tape runners, etc. These were inspired by Yvette West (? - correct me if I got the last name wrong) she is a fellow CTMH Consultant who shared her fun idea on the CTMH boards.

First here is mine that I made quite a while ago...

And here are the gifts for my friends - it was fun to make these - each one became my favorite as I finished them ;-) I hope they like them!

This one is for Nicole

This one is for Ramsey

This one is for Laurel

This one is for Marjorie

This one is for Stacy

This one is for Nona

This one is for Kari

Family Ties

I finally got this layout finished - it's using this month's Cherish Challenge layout, Duplicate Patterns on page 64. My original title was just 'Family' but then when I finished the layout and after I had added the quote, I decided to add 'Ties' and I'm really glad I did - it's more complete now. I used Chocolate Rub-Ons and Chocolate Waxy Flax, even though the color in this paper pack is Cocoa, and I think they look close enough! The rub-ons were used to number the pictures and then on the tabbed piece that pulls out, it names who is in each picture. On the back of the tabbed piece there is one more picture of my cousin, Peter sleeping - notice there are lots of sleepers in these pics! I didn't get many pictures that weekend and I missed a lot of family shots, so I wanted to at least include all of the good ones I had. We got our new camera that weekend and I spent a lot of time figuring it out and playing around with it, so not all of the pics turned out.

Here is the pull out tabbed piece...

I created a 6x6 page as an addition to these two 12x12 pages since I had just a couple more pictures to add - it also gave me some more room to add more journaling - plus it was a good way to feature Riley who got Baptized that weekend, and Simon who was Blessed that weekend. Here are both sides of that 6x6...

Products Used (all CTMH): Perfect Day paper, Friendship Alphabet (large & small), Clear Embossing Powder, Chocolate Waxy Flax, Twill Ribbon, Simple Stitches stamp set

Thanks for looking! Oh, and my next post will be post #100, so watch for some blog candy!

Reunion Auction Item

For the last 3 years, the family has done an auction - everybody donates items (most are handmade or family pics) and the money raised in the auction goes towards the reunion fund. I didn't get this done (or even started) before we left for the reunion, but I packed up my shoulder tote with papers, stamps, inks, and accessories, and completed this quick little mini album while camping. It was fun to stamp outdoors in the fresh air. Anyway, this is what I donated and it ended up selling for $150! It was fun to make - I will be making more pages to fill up the rest of the page protectors, but this is what I got done up there. I used the Reflections 6x6 program which was so helpful - made the project so much easier! Sorry for the glare on the photos, I was in a hurry so I didn't take them out of the protectors.

Products Used (all CTMH): My Creations Display Album, Reflections Program IV 6x6 Series, Rustic Trails paper, Pewter Accessories, Hemp, Twill and Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon, Sanding Block, Edge Distressor

Stamp sets used: Hodge Podge Alphabet, Simple Stitches, Building Block Alphabet, Free Spirit, Campin Out (retired), Outdoor Trek, Back to Nature, Roughin It, Weathered Backgrounds