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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Is it REALLY time for the last layout from the January REFLECTION kit from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out?

Did we not just start this new year? Wow, time flies...

I plan to share some sneak peeks for the February kit in the next couple of days...but until then, my last layout:


Have you ever put your hand on a mirror and noticed that you can see the palm? there is a space between YOU and your reflection...no matter how close you get to a real mirror.

I did a lot of "fussy cutting" for this one. I just adored all the images I could cut out and layer.


Especially love the butterfly images in the kit this month...I could put butterflies on every single layout I do...

Have a BEAUTIFUL DAY everyone!!!

Peace.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Switch It Up Blog Hop!! (with Prizes!!!)

ITS TIME!

ITS TIME!!!

I'm so excited to have you visit my blog for the SFTIO Switch It Up Blog Hop!

Ok...if you are here, you either got here from The AMAZING Christa's Blog. (She's fabulous, right?????)

If you got here some other way, go back to see (the equally AMAZING!) NANCY to get started.

The SFTIO Designers are Switching It Up today, featuring the grogeous SFTIO January Reflection Kit

Take a look at this beauty! (PS, the pictures don't capture the full gorgeousness of this kit. You HAVE to touch it!)



So, today, I'm featuring the FABULOUS Fabiane Omerod (Fabi for short) from Brazil. This is one of her amazing layouts from the Reflection kit:


Fabi says, "Challenge yourself to explore who you are in a deeper level, know your fears, know your competences, in such a deeper way that no matters what happens to you, you'd never doubt that your a winner just because who you are."

I love this thought...that you are a winner just because you ARE, and who you ARE. and I just love how she made the botanical embellishments part of her picture.

Next stop on the SWITCH IT UP Blog Hop is Fabi's Blog. 

But before you go, leave me a little comment for your chance at a fabulous paper pack prize:

Adornit Flutter:

Adornit Misty

Adornit Pink Hoot

Bo Bunny Crazy Love

Bo Bunny Crush

Bo Bunny Midnight Frost

Make sure you leave a little comment love on everyone's blog along the way. THe more you comment the more chances you have to WIN!!!

You have until Friday at 5:00 pm to post to be elegible for a prize!

Happy Hopping!

Peace, ya'll!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

CHA Favorites

WARNING: LOTS OF SCRAPBOOK PRODUCT PICTURES

Which, if you are into art or scrapbooking might not be a bad thing.

If you're into something else, just stop here!

The Winter Craft and Hobby Association show will begin on Saturday and, as is the hobby of many a crafter during this time, I've been eagerly looking at all the new lines coming out for this show. Here are a few of my favorites:

I absolutely love the Cosmo Cricket lines this time around. The Salt Air line is amazing:


As is the Upcycle line:


But OH, this Social Club line is my favorite. Its kitschy and cute and makes me want to have a martini and listen to Frank.



Crate Paper has outdone themselves this release. ALL of the lines are beautiful. The one, tho, that has the colors I love is Emma's Shoppe:


And just check out the cute Button and Trim collections they have going for each line:



Echo Park is rapidly becoming one of my Go-To manufacturers lately. This For the Record line certainly keeps them at the top of the list of favorites:


Its no secret to many who know me that I LOVE Melody Ross. (I secretly want to be her when I grow up! Her or Sheryl Crow!) anyway, I love her new Soul Food Line...seriously, i need to blow up this paper to life size and paper my scrapbook room:


And the embellishments are SO gorgeous and lush:


This new Graphic 45 line looks interesting. I wonder if I can get my kids to a circus so that I can go buy this paper and use it!?!?!? (hee hee)


I have a love/hate affair with Little Yellow Bicycle. It seems like one time I love them and the next not so much...but THIS time, its love. This is from the Elizabeth Park line:


And this is from Twig. Oh, love...love, love, love:


Their new corrugated shapes are adorable too:


My Minds Eye ALWAYS comes to the party in a grand way...this show, its Stella and Rose. I just bought a few spring clothes for Jayden in grey and yellow...definitely a cool color combo:



Sassafras Lass has another brilliantly colored, exciting line out this time around called Paper Crush. LOVE how they edge their papers:



ADORE their alphas this time:


Studio Calico has really done an amazing job with their lines recently as well. The new Country Side line is so fresh:


As is State Fair:


But what I'm really dying to try is their Mister Huey Mists, just for the names of the colors alone. Who wouldn't love to play with an art supply called Bluegrass, Hot Dog or Pickle? (that makes me think of the Dr. Seuss book I Can Read With My Eyes Shut. He says he can read in "pickle color.")



Studio Calico is doing best, again, what they did best last time: GREAT embellishments like these FabRips fabric strips.


Another great embellishment this time around? The Buttons and Twine from Websters pages:


Finally, one of my most favorites, American Crafts Hello Sunshine line. This is the kind of paper that makes you happy even when you don't want to be!


This is by NO means a complete collection.

However, if I "window shop" anymore, I might just need to get a second job so I can ACTUALLY shop!

See anything you like?

Peace, ya'll!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Monday Muse - The One With Nemo

So...ever since Finding Nemo came out, I've been a fan.

I just love that movie.

I don't need a kid around as an excuse to watch it.

As a lark, I went in search of images of Clown Fish to see how they were really colored. I found this amazing specimen, today's Muse:


I am supremely in love with that gorgeous orange and the startlingly bright white of this fish against that beautiful background.

REALLY love this image.

Its dreamy, floaty and makes me think, now in the dead of winter, of the gorgeous warm ocean and all that goes with it.

So, what would you do with this muse?

Anything amazing come to mind?

TOMORROW, I'll be posting a few of my favorite sneaks for the upcoming CHA show...

And keep your eyes open for BLOG HOP on Wednesday, showcasing the amazing design talents of the SFTIO designers...

ooooo...exciting week!!!

Peace, ya'll!!!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Heard at Our House - Testing our Boundaries Edition

The speech of a 4 year old is certainly a thing to behold. They have just enough grasp of the language and expressions in their world to parrot what we say...or, in my case, parody what we say.

Jayden - I want bacon!
Grandma - I gave you cheerios and strawberries.
Jayden - but I want bacon!
Grandma - But you asked for Cheerios and Strawberries.
Jayden - I don't want that. I want bacon.
Grandma - Jayden, you asked for Cheerios and strawberries and I gave you cheerios and strawberries. Why aren't you eating THOSE?
Jayden - Grandma, I've just lost interest!


Grandpa - you need to sit down in the cart!
Jayden - I want mommy to push me.
Grandpa - Mommy is shopping. I'm going to push the cart.
Jayden - but I want Mommy to push me.
Grandpa - Listen, I'm going to push the cart. You are just going to have to deal with it.
Jayden - We'll see about that!!!


Mommy - What movie do you want to watch?
Jayden - Anachoa
Mommy - What?
Jayden - Anatcha Soa
Mommy - What?
Jayden - Anascatoa
Mommy - What?
Jayden - That movie where she wears the yellow dress!
Mommy - You mean Anastasia???
Jayden - Yes. Anastcatzia


After spying that I had Life Savers in my purse:
Mommy, I need a sucky fing. My froat hurts!


After seeing me get out the bandaids for a different purpose:
Jayden - Mommy, today I fell and hit my fum on the window and hurt it really really bad and I need a bandaid.
Mommy - What?
Jayden - Today, I feel against the window and hit my fum and right here, and I need a bandaid.
Mommy - You got hurt?
Jayden - Yes. On my fum.
Daddy - Jayden, if you want a bandaid, you don't need to make up a story. Just say "I want a bandaid."
Jayden - I want a bandaid. On my fum.


After trying to get him to eat a SINGLE green bean, in a very loud, tearful, extremely emotional voice:
VEGETABLES...ARE NOT...GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!

Noah is expanding his vocabulary every day.

So far, he's added:

OH! WOW! (but it sounds like this: OhhhhooooooooooWowoooooooooo.)

MORE! (but it sounds like this: MahMahMahMahMah)

Hello! (but it sounds like this: Hewoooooooooooow?)


Have an amazing day!!! PEACE!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Prayer

The January REFLECTION kit from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out really had me thinking while I scrapbooked.

I wanted to do a layout that represented what I want to reflect to the world in my person, my life.

As I pondered, I found myself praying...so I wrote down that prayer and scrapbooked it.

This paper was just GORGEOUS and looked like the beautiful world that God created....so I did as little damage to the paper as I could...I almost couldn't bear to cut it at all:


But cut it I did...just enough to pop up some of the elements and give them a glittery stickles glow:


I love it when gorgeous products and simple techniques produce a good layout!

Peace, ya'll!!!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

CHALLENGES

Until today the weather here has been...um....less than stellar.

I'm already tired of cold and gloom...how about you?


I have my mind on reading Clara and Mr. Tiffany which i just downloaded from my library to my NEW COLOR NOOK!!!! (I'm so exited about this thing...its truly remarkable) As my hubs says, I'm totally lost to the reading, since its so convenient to download new books and get to reading!

BUT I know that this weekend is a SCRAPPING WEEKEND for me (did you see that, Honey? I scrapping weekend!)

So...how about some CHALLENGES to rev up your creativity?

Scrapbooking From the Inside Out has two challenges up for January. THey are magnificent for any type of art, I think...I thought about all sorts of ways that they could be used to create something.

The first one is:

Mirror Image: In what areas of your life does seeing things backwards make a difference? Do you ever take a purposeful look at a situation from the opposite angle you'd usually take? If you could write yourself a note in the steam on the bathroom mirror, or have someone else write it for you, what message would you want to read, knowing that it would disappear and you only had a few moments to take it in?

For our first challenge, please create a LO about choosing to look at a situation the opposite way you normally would. For the design twist, write yourself a note as you would on a bathroom mirror...lots of interesting messages and materials to use!

And the second one is:

Water: Water can take many forms - solid like ice, liquid, and vapor - steam or fog. Even on its surface, there can be stillness, rippling, waves and tsunamis. How does the image of water affect you? Is it calming? How does your reflection appear in different literal and symbolic states of water, and what does that represent?

People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering. St Augustine


Please create a LO about water in one of its forms and what it means to you.

For the design twist, please find a water image to include that speaks to you - your most perfect or most imperfect image of water - soothing, menacing...

I love BOTH of these challenges...alas, my scrapping for this weekend is still super secret stuff (shhhhhhh!!!).

What about you? What could you do with these? Any photographers out there that could use these challenges for photography? Crafters? I would love to see what you come up with!!!

Peace, ya'll!!!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Monday Muse - The One with Jupiter

I'm forever fascinated by what can be photographed in this day and age. I came across this and thought it would make an amazing Monday Muse...I was shocked to find out the picture was taken in 1979!!!



OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE (2l3) 354-5011

PHOTO CAPTION Voyager 1-98
P-21431C
June 6, 1979

Jupiter -- This Voyager 1 picture of the great red spot shows a
white oval with its "wake" of counter-rotating vortices. North is
at the top and the distance from top to bottom is about 24,000 km.
This enhanced color view emphasizes red and blue at the expense
of green. Note the puffy features inside the GRS, and the
"reverse-S" spirals inside both the GRS and the oval. The large
white feature extending over the northern part of the GRS was
observed to revolve about the GRS center with a period of 6 days.

Friday, January 14, 2011

WIN REFLECTION

Would you like a chance to win the January REFLECTION kit from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out? You could have this amazing kit for yourself:


Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous Basic Grey, 7gypsies, Prima and Kaisercraft.





Just head on over to Cathy Zielske's Blog today for a chance to get this amazing kit!

Peace, ya'll!!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Mirror Mirror

When we got the topic for the January REFLECTION kit from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out, I honestly thought to myself, "This is not going to be fun!"

You see, me and my reflection have had an ongoing battle most of my life...I don't like what I see there.

Now, before I go on, please know...I'm not looking for your sympathy or for you to think I'm in some way maladjusted or weepy or wallowing. I'm not.

Over the years, I've dealt with a lot of my confidence and perfectionist issues and have really come to understand a bit who I am in Christ...how I am completely loved, totally forgiven, and uniquely created to fulfill God's unique plan for me.

Its a journey. I have to remind myself daily of who God says I am...and try valiantly to really ignore who the world says I am. Its not an easy proposition. I may not look in the mirror and scream, "YOU GORGEOUS THING YOU!!!" but I'm whole and healthy and pretty in touch with the fact that what I see there is not what is REALLY there. I'm aware that my eyes have filters applied that I have to purposely remove...and its all good. I appreciate who I am and what it is that I stand for.

BUT, designing for SFTIO is about getting to the heart of the matter and really digging into the monthly theme. I didn't feel that I would be doing my quest for transparency and my desire for peace and healing any favors if I stuffed my first instinct to scrap about how I don't really care for my own reflection. You see, it does me no good to hide, harbor, nurture and grow negative feelings.

Now...some of you may think this is just rediculous.

Others of you may find that this resonates with you...

I've found over time that "damaged by the hurts inflicted by others" is way more normal than "normal."

And, I don't think ANYONE can say that at some point or another in their lives they have not suffered the taunts of another human being and died just a little bit inside.

That is what this layout is about:


While I didn't intend for it to be that way, really, I've seen in the SFTIO gallery some comments that the little circles look like little compact mirrors. They are right. It is serendipitous. My intent was to show bits...like peeking through a keyhole...just flashes and then distress...which is my experience with a mirror.

I thought this gorgeous little bird represented my spirit, my soul...glittey and blingy and precious and delicate.


Peace, ya'll!!!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Monday Muse - The One with the Sweet Bestiary

Today's muse is the art of a woman who has a lovely little etsy shop and blog called Sweet Bestiary.

Her name is Flor Panichelli and she was a featured artist on Etsy last week. I'm in love with these little brooches:


First of all, what an amazing and creative pursuit. If you read her story, you find that she "became" an artist rather later than many. Her work is really adorable and cute and kind of odd all at the same time. I want some.

So, what would you do with this muse?

Make some little drawings?

Perhaps a piece of jewelry?

Do something along the mindset of owls?

hmmmm....

Friday, January 07, 2011

Bad Blogger, Bubbles and I See Me

First off, I have to apologize for being a bad blogger this week. The first week of a new year is always busy and just a little bit chaotic, so that's my excuse! HA HA!

I came across this picture on my husband's aunt's Facebook page...she took it while they were visiting. I love the pure JOY on this kids face at seeing bubbles...MUST scrapbook it!


Which brings me very nicely to my second layout from the January REFLECTION kit from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out:

This one is about the reflections of myself in the boys:


Cute little butterfly cut out on that gorgeous velvety ribbon:


You know its both disconcerting and rewarding to see my traits, hear my words, and notice my mannerisms and expressions in my kids. Sometimes I hear my own words and think, "Do I sound like THAT!?!??!" and sometimes I see something and think, "That's my boy!"

Its odd, I think, to see another little person walking down the hall, or playing with Legos, or organizing the blocks just like you would...or just like your spouse would. Sometimes its hugely humorous...and sometimes its just alarming...

I always hope that my kids get the best of what I have to give them and leave the worst of it behind...I know, intellectually, that this is not reality. They will get a balance of good and bad and they will insert their own personalities and gifts.

Still...its nice to hope that my legacy can be one of good...

Peace, ya'll!!