Once upon a time

I used to sew.  I taught myself during my high school years out of necessity.  My family did not have the money to keep up with the cool kids in clothes shopping.  What I lacked in funds, I made up for in creativity and ingenuity.  I started with clothes purchased at garage sales and would turn them into something new.  Many a pair of pants became fabulous 80's mini skirts with a bit of sewing machine magic.

Later I moved on to buying material and starting from scratch.  Only I never learned properly.  I still find patterns to be more trouble than they are worth.  *waits for real sewing peeps to go thud*  Yep.  I just look at material and make things that fit me.  Of course, I could not sew without a live model, but I did create items for friends and later my kids.  Often during my high school teaching years, I would help girls turn thrift finds into prom gowns. 

I spent a little time quilting.  I made a few blankets for family, but never really found it to be the right creative outlet for me.  When I discovered scrapbooking, I boxed up my sewing machines and tucked them into the closet.  However, years (and several scrapping styles) later, I brought one back out and began stitching on my layouts.  And it felt just exactly right. 

The layouts I love best have 3 elements:  journaling, stitching, and shine.  Yep.  I like a bit of fashion in my scrapping.  Knowing this about myself lets me create easier.  I zipped this layout out in only a few minutes and loved it fore it's simplicity.  Wanna see?

Irish by Dora Phillips
Supplies: Paper, Stickers: Sassafras Lass, Letters: American Crafts, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Markers: Copic, Bling: Heidi Swapp, Sewing Machine: Brother, Other: thread, buttons.

Journaling: Every Irish girl loves St. Pat's Day.  You don your green with pride.

Dog Gone Cute!

Is the name of my new kit and I am loving it.  I really am surprised how long it took me since we brought Wolfie home to design a doggie kit.  Over the last 4 months I have taken a ton of photos of our darling--and insane--new family member.

Honestly, as soon as someone tells me that dogs never do that, Wolfie does it.  She will pee in her bed while in it.  Ok, so that is not her fault--she is incontinent and on medication now.  She refuses to potty on a walk.  I have this cute little bag filled bone attached to her leash and have never whipped out a bag.  She gobbles her meds down, but won't touch bacon flavored treats.  Who doesn't like bacon?  Every day is a new adventure with this darling.

One thing she is for certain--a total girly girl.  She adores her stuffed friends.  Her babies.  She will chew on anything--my scrapbooks, a tree trunk, various veggies from the garden--but she does not chew up her babies.  She adores them.  Here is a layout with her current favorite baby.

Froggy Love.  Digital Supplies:  Kit: Dog Gone Cute by Dora Phillips, Fonts: Traveling Typewriter, Sweetheart Script.
Journaling: Wolfy loves her soft friends more than any other toy.  She carries them everywhere and refuses to sleep without one.  Froggy is her favorite--this week!

Lucky

I am lucky.  My kids are absolutely adorable and really fun to be with.  I am totally enjoying these kid years.  Although they definitely love hanging together and have a bunch of similiarities, they are definitely in different places in maturity.  Sadly, Allie (big jr high girl that she is) figured out that all of the magical little fairies and creatures of her childhood do not really live in our house.  Or visit.  She happily said goodbye to the tooth fairy, Santa, and all of their friends.  Especially the Easter bunny.  She never could quite rationalized rabbits and eggs in that brain of hers.

As a nonbeliever, she was immediately promoted to house fairy.  It is now her job to trade out teeth for cash.  Her job to eat Santa's cookies.  And her job to wreck havok on the house as Lucky the leprechaun.  This spring, she had an absolute blast leading Zack on a merry chase to capture the gold.  I have always enjoyed this holiday and game, but she definitely took it up a notch.  He was one BUSY leprechaun.

My favorite or her ideas had to be the paint footprints leading from a window to under the couch.  Zack just beamed when he found them!  I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next year!

Lucky by Dora Phillips
Supplies: Paper: Crate Paper, Buttons: BasicGrey. Letters: American Crafts, Die Cuts: Crate Paper, Font: Traveling Typewriter, Ink: Colorbox, Sweing Machine:  Brother, Other: thread.

Journaling: Every year on St. Patrick's Day, our resident leprechaun, Lucky, spends the day playing tricks on our family.  He dyes toilet water green, hides shoes, short sheets beds, and loves making a mess.  He also leaves little presents behind.  All day long we chase him hoping to get his gold.  Sadly, footprints and shamrock glitter are the closest we have gotten so far.

it's easy being green

for me this week.  Honestly, I cannot stop scrapping with green this week.  I started out with one of my favorite collections from Crate Paper.  I am on my second collection kit and still adore it.  The green, orange, and gold are such beautiful hues and perfect for any season.  And the glitter diecuts?  Heaven!

This is a set of pics from last March of my little cutie.  Of course, the layout is hybrid and stitched with a little ink and a lot of love.

Not So Green Day.  Supplies:  Paper, Die Cuts, Brads: Crate Paper, Alphabets: Maya Road, My Little Shoebox, Pink Paislee, Fonts: Traveling Typewriter, Stone Inscription, Other: stitching.
Journaling: Look Mom!  I am all ready for school.  See my green for St. Patrick's Day?  I thought about a green shirt but did not want to overdo it.  Do you like it?

See you tomorrow with more green and maybe a story.

feeling zippy

today.  I scrapped with a zipper and it was fun!  I was cleaning out a drawer and found a broken zip that I tucked in there for a completely unknown reason.  As I rolled it up to toss it, inspiration struck.  It looked just like the ribbon flowers I am loving making right now.  I stitched it up and got ready to scrap.

I decided to use the My Mind's Eye sketch #15 as my starting point.  I am really enjoying playing along with their excellent sketches.  Here it is:

And here is my version of it.  Simple, but lovely. After adding the zipper rose, I hand stitched the other half of the zipper as a twisty border.  I really love the look and may need to break another zipper soon.

Family.  Paper, Die Cuts, Stickers, Overlay: My Mind's Eye, Brads: Making Memories, Other: zipper, stitching.

Off to peek in the junk drawer to see what else I might find.

A freebie today!

Happy Anniversary ScrapStreet! Can you believe we have spent FIVE years together already?  Oh the places we have been and the growth we have enjoyed!  Big kisses to all of you!

I did my grocery shopping early this week and the Halloween candy lined the aisles.  I resisted.  Lets face it--if I get it now, I will eat it long before the holiday.  However, it did get me in the mood to start my Halloween designing.  I put together a little set of epoxy stickers for you as this week's freebie.  I hope you enjoy.  You can grab it at the ScrapStreet blog.

Some Crate Sketch Fun

I confess.  I love Crate Paper.  They have been one of my favorite companies since the first time I got my hands on them.  Now that I have my darling google reader up and running, I am able to keep track of some favorite manufacturing blogs. 

I was thrilled to find that Crate Paper will be sharing a sketch once a month.  I enjoy the creative nudge that sketches provide sooooo much.  The August sketch left much of the decisions to the artist by not identifying spots for title, journaling, etc.  It looks like this:

and my version looks like this:

Supplies:  Paper, Die Cuts, Stickers:  Crate Paper, Alphabet: American Crafts, Flowers: Making Memories, Ink: Clearsnap, Font: Bodini, Sketch: Emily Pitts for Crate Paper. Other: machine stitching.
Journaling: two silly cousins, two diet cokes, too many giggles to count.

Thanks for the inspiration, Emily and Crate Paper!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!?!!!!

I so am.  The only reason I can let summer end is to bring on football season.  Yes, I do love football.  Not only do I not mind the husband having a fantasy team, but he does not mind me having one.  I know.  I look blond and clueless, but never underestimate a gal who grew up in the 70's outside of Pittsburgh.

Which makes me--and my family--Steeler fans.

 

As gametime approached, we got all dressed and ready for our pregame photo shoot.  Daddy and friends were off playing a morning round of golf, so it was just Team Mommy.  And Wolfie.  Puppy is new to the concept of football.  She refused to wear her kerchief.  And had no interest in sitting pretty for a photo.  She did, however, do her best to make us giggle.

Finally, kickoff time rolled around.  The house is full of people ready to watch our NFL package.  Laptops are opened.  Chatter begins.  Chips and beverages make the rounds.  The kids head upstairs or outside to play checking in now and again for scores.  None of them are really ready to watch full time yet, but they do enjoy cheering with us.

And they look really cute in the Steeler gear.

Today I turn

forty.  Eeeeekkk!!!

It is true.  I no longer get to be "in my thirties."  I keep hearing that 40 is the new 25, but I hope not.  I have come a long way since 25 and I am not going back.

I wondered how I would feel today.  Would it be horrible?  Would I feel older?  But I must admit that I had a great day.  Got tons accomplished.  Had a fabulous dinner and chocolate cake.  My kids made me sweet gifts.  My friends sent me flowers.  Aren't they the cutest ever!

I even found time to scrap today, but I cannot show since it is something for the mag.  I did have Allie and Zack each take a few pictures of me.  Allie did hers while I was on the phone thanking Meesh for the flowers.  Here I am--frozen at exactly forty.  And happy about it.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, loves!