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Happy Friday! I had a new layout up on the Pebbles Blog yesterday for Sketchy Thursday! Usually I'm not a huge fan of sketches, but I actually really enjoyed using this one! I was so excited to finally use my new Lakeside products!!
For more info on the layout, including the original sketch, check out the post on the Pebbles blog!
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The Camp Scrap giveaway will be open until Monday! Have a great weekend!
Good morning! Good "it's the last day of school" morning!!! I think I'm just as excited as the kids today!! In honor of my final day with students I have a super fun giveaway that is just the thing to get you into the summertime scrapping mood! Have you heard about May Flaum's fabulous Camp Scrap at Big Picture Classes ?
Camp Scrap 2013 is the place to be this summer! Spend the entire month of June scrapbooking with May Flaum and hundreds of her closest friends in an online, choose-your-own-adventure paper crafting camp. You'll enjoy more than 40 new and exclusive projects from May, a dozen "mini class" videos with accompanying handouts, daily emails, a bustling student message board and gallery, and more!
This 4-week workshop includes all the fun, instruction, and inspiration you'd find at an in-person scrapbooking retreat. But you get to participate entirely from home in your shorts and flip-flops (or whatever counts as your comfort gear for summer).
A veteran BPC instructor who has taught thousands of satisfied students, May practices a "zero pressure, no rules, happy crafting" philosophy. She'll inspire you to let go, work at your own pace, and have the time of your life! You can watch every video and try every single project and technique—or you can pick and choose those that speak to you. You can spend most of your time socializing on the message boards, or you can quietly craft in the comfort of your home.
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I am giving away one spot in May's Camp Scrap that begins on June 6th. To enter, please just leave a comment here. Tell me what you're looking most forward to this summer, give me your favorite popsicle recipe, or just say hi! I will draw a winner on Monday! Hope your day is as good as mine is sure to be!!
Later this week, my fabulous friend and fellow Ventage girlie Stephanie is celebrating a birthday, so that means it's a perfect time to celebrate HER on this Ventage Tuesday!! I've known Steph for awhile now...over five years. Maybe six. I'm bad with dates. All I know is that as the time passes, we become better friends...which is just the way it should be! So in honor of her special day, here are five things I love about Stephanie:
(photo stolen from her instagram account...i'm sneaky like that!)
1. She is honest. Steph will tell you the truth...and even if it's not what you want to hear, she tells you the truth in a compassionate way that doesn't make you feel like an idiot. I know that I can tell her or ask her pretty much anything and she wll give me honest, sincere advice. I trust her to do so quite often!
2. She is a mom extraordinaire. Steph has two awesome little guys...and she takes her job very seriously and does a great job. She is the first to admit that motherhood isn't easy (remember that honesty part?) but she loves (almost) every minute and you can tell by the way she interacts with her family and talks about them and photographs them that they are the world to her...and they are so, so lucky to have her.
3. She works hard. Darn hard. Steph has a full-time job as a mother, a part-time job in retail, and has a husband that often travels for work. She deals with kids with allergies and friends with issues. ;) She is the cook, the cleaner-uper, the bather, the chauffeur, the book-reader, the snuggler, the up-in-the-middle-of-the-nighter, and much, much more. And she does it all with a couple cups of coffee and a smile on her face!
4. She is funny. I feel like this is one of Stephanie's "inner gem" qualities - that is not the first thing you notice about her, but when you do notice it...well, you don't forget it. ;) She's got blog posts that make me laugh out loud (and some that make me cry, for that matter) and has a knack for sending some pretty great emails. She's a funny girl, whether she realizes it or not! I feel pretty privileged to have been on the end of some her greatest one-liners!
5. She is kind. I have to be truthful...I think Stephanie might be the nicest person I know. Stephanie always looks for the good in people and would do anything to help a friend. She would drive miles for you, make dinner for you, and probably even give you the literal shirt off her back should you be in need! She is not just nice. She is good. She is kind. She is unique in that way, and it is my favorite quality about her.
Happy Birthday, friend. I cannot WAIT to celebrate with you!!
**PS: I will be back with a scrapbooking post somtime next week. This is the crazy busy time of the month when I have tons of assignments and nothing to share until the first! Sorry for those of you that really only care about the scrapbooking!**
Last Friday I had a Mother's Day themed layout up on the Pebbles blog. It's funny, rarely do I get an idea in my head and then follow it through almost exactly to the end...but that's what I did this time. I envisioned a quilt of photos with a giant heart on top. While there were some minor changes (title changed, and I ended up creating a mat for the quilt to just add a little more color), it pretty much looks the way I thought it would!! I must admit, it's one of my favorite layouts I've made in awhile!
(Published - Scrapbook Trends, January 2014)
To read more about the process of it all and a supply list, check out the Pebbles blog. :) Have a great Wednesday!
Isn't it funny that I can write "googled" and like 95 percent of the population will know what I'm talking about?! Anyway, this week's Ventage Tuesday is brought to you by Stephanie, who encouraged us to take a look back at our internet past to find out what in the world we have been searching for! I found this to be a bit harder than I anticipated, mostly because I have this obnoxious internet obsession, and I visit WAY too many websites everyday...thus making it a rather drawn out process to look through my history! And...I've also realized...I'm pretty boring. There is nothing very surprising or astounding on this list, but I'm a team player, so I'll play along!! So here you have it - 5 things I've googled in the last month:
1. NPR Articles. I listen to NPR in the car, and I tend to only hear bits and pieces of what they talk about, thanks to my chatty little co-pilots. So, I keep a mental list of all the articles I want to read and check them out later when I have a chance. Here was a recent one: Young Girls May Get More Teaching Time from Parents than Boys Do. An interesting read...
2. Song Lyrics. I google song lyrics a LOT. I mean, I am the girl that watched 27 Dresses and said, "wait a minute, you mean it really ISN'T electric boobs?!" I tend to get song lyrics wrong all the time. So, thanks to Google I don't sound like a total fool when I'm belting out songs while speeding down the highway with my windows open.
3. Michigan. We spent Mother's Day in Michigan, and I think I googled about 30 different things: restaurants, times things opened, the weather, directions...you name it, I googled it! Where would be without Google?? Lost and hungry on the side of the road, I'm sure!!
4. Hippie Mom Stuff: Ring Sling, Vinegar to Kill Weeds, Refill Swiffer Bottle, Vitamix vs. Ninja, Vinegar BumGenius, Upspring Baby (don't get me started on that one!), Pressure Points, Newborn HepB, Post Pregnancy Essential Oils. You know...all that stuff to try and maintain my hippie mom status while I'm chugging down my Dr. Pepper. ;)
5. Internet Stalker. No, I didn't actually google the words "internet stalker." ;) But, I kind of am one, ha! I would say the vast majority of my google searches are looking for people or their blogs. I won't say WHO I was looking for...but just know...it might have been YOU. ;)
If you'd like to peek into the mind of the Ventage girls, be sure to check out Angie, Barb, Stephanie, and Katrina to see what THEY have googled in the past month!! :)
My "Pinspired with Gossamer Blue" post went up on the GB blog yesterday! I admit...I got a little wild and crazy with this layout. It's a bit reminiscent of some of the layouts I used to make years ago! ;) Here is my inspiration piece:
and here is my layout:
I used my Cameo to cut all the waves and just kind of haphazardly layered them. I used a pen to outline everything to just make them all a bit more distinct. For more info on the challenge, the layout, and the chance to win a gift certificate to Gossamer Blue, check out the post!
So yeah...crazy, huh?! ;) But, it's fun, and I like it. Making this layout made me think a lot about "style" and the fact that I don't really know that I have one definitive style. I think I have a couple different styles...my "crazy, bright" style like this layout (and some of my Pebbles layouts fit into this category!) and then there's my more "modern/artsy" style with layers and misting and all that jazz. And then there are just some that don't fit into any category. At times I wish I had a really recognizable style like some scrappers do, but ultimately I like that I feel like I have the freedom to create whatever I want and not be boxed into a single idea or look. What about you? Do you have a distinct style? Do you wish you did? I'd love to hear some thoughts! :) Have a great weekend!
(ps: why does this show up as center aligned when i'm typing it, but not on the actual blog?! frustrating.)
Good Morning! It's almost Friday! ;) Today I have another Gossamer Blue layout to share! I must admit, when I began this layout (at the Chicagoland Scrappers meet-up!) I was not diggin' it. It just wasn't falling together for me. I liked the colors and the way the woodgrain from the wagon was mimicked in the pattern paper...I just wasn't feeling the overall design. Well, after some minor adjustments, I'm pretty happy with the result. It doesn't hurt that H looks totally adorable in the photos!
Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!
Today's Ventage Tuesday is brought to you by Barb, who requested a fashion themed post in honor of the warmer temperatures we are finally seeing! This summer my wardrobe is going to have one goal - be comfortable! I'll be pretty pregnant at the beginning of summer...and uber pregnant by the end of it! I had to buy a bunch of new maternity clothes since I have never been pregnant during the summertime before! I've got a lot of t-shirts, a couple skirts, and a pair of capri pants that I'm already regretting because they have that stupid little half-band of elastic that is already falling down below my belly! So yes, my top 5 summer fashion finds are not very exciting...but they are practical! ;)
1. The maternity top. I tend to go with the ones that have ruching on the sides. I think they are a little more flattering to my already curvy figure!! I actually have the exact top in the picture, which I got from Target.
2. The maxi skirt. I have a maternity maxi skirt from Old Navy, and I'm already contemplating buying every other one they sell. It is the most comfortable thing EVER...and it hides my white pasty legs quite well! ;)
3. The flip-flops. I got a pedicure last week, and I've decided that I shall never wear regular shoes again! Okay, not really...I did pull out the Converse a couple times ,and I had to wear some Keen mary janes for a "dress-up" event (that is the extent to which I wear dress-up shoes, ha!), but I will wear flip-flops every chance I have this summer. What can I say? My toes like to be free!
4. The sunglasses. I really think I need a sunglasses stylist. I always buy the cheapest ones possible because inevitably they will get lost or broken. But...they never look that cool. I need a cute, fun pair to get me through all of our outside events this summer!
5. The necklace. Yeah...clearly I was running short on items! ;) I slowly have been buying cute necklaces to add to my jewelry collection. I don't have a ton, but I love wearing fun jewelry...maybe I'll come across some this summer!
So there you have it. Totally boring. Totally comfortable. Totally me. :) What is on your Summer fashion list this year? I'd love to live vicariously through all of you who won't be waddling around all summer! ;) For more fashion finds, be sure to visit my other Ventage girls: Angie, Barb, Katrina, and Stephanie!
Happy Monday! This morning I have another Gossamer Blue May layout to share. This was a layout that I threw together very quickly...and then added something...then added something else...then added something else! ;) I hardly every scrapbook about things other than my kids anymore, so this was really fun for me, and I admittedly love the way it turned out! It is definitely my favorite of the layouts I created this month! The title was cut on my Cameo using the font "Always in my Heart," and all of the goodies come from both the main kit and the various add-ons.
Hope everyone had a great weekend and a fun National Scrapbooking Day! :)
Last weekend a bunch of girls in the Chicagoland Scrappers Facebook group got together at a local Archivers! It all started when my friend Latrice and I made plans to scrap together and she invited some other locals scrappers. And...my pregnancy brain must have been in full force, because I totally double-booked myself for the weekend, as my friend Barb from WI was also in town that night. Luckily it worked out, and I was able to convince my other two local friends Josie and Kelly to come along, too! Here are a few really awful iPhone photos of us all, gotta love the A's lighting! ;) It was a really nice time, though I felt rather anti-social, as I actually had some assigments due the next day and wasn't able to be very chatty!!
My side of the table, Josie and me!
Across from us: Kelly and Barb
The other table: Melissa (who I met for the first time, but who I had "talked with" on FB before!), Latrice, Kelly Jean (also new to me and super sweet), and Nubia (who I had met in person one other time before, but we have been longtime FB and Instagram friends, so it feels like we already know each other so well!).
Me and Latrices - she is too cute for her own good!
The whole group!
We are hopefully getting together again soon! Are you a Chicagoland Scrapper? Let me know and I will add you to the FB group! By they way, Happy National Scrapbook Day. I don't think I'll be doing any scrapbooking today...how about you, any big plans?? :)
