Last Monday of the Summer

Well, it has been a gorgeous last Monday of the Summer, and I have been trying to enjoy every little second of it. A few hours of fun tennis in the perfect weather, some relaxing and a little work just to keep me on track so I don't get behind on anything.

World Card Making Day is just around the corner, and I am so excited about it! I am going to be making a set of Christmas cards to donate to the Festival of Trees, a fundraiser that is held here in Utah for the Primary Children's Hospital every year. And I am hoping that if I plan and prepare I can hopefully donate not just one set, but a few. So the plotting begins!!

Hope you are enjoying the last few minutes of your Summer too!
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Got No Love

Monday was a deadline for submissions for the Paper Crafts March/April issue and I took a little time to submit a few projects. Yesterday the acceptance emails went out and none of my projects got picked up, I think they need to see some sunshine so I am going to share some "rejects" that got no love  ;o)

Both of these were made while I was visiting with Karolyn and Kim during one of our crafty sessions. This one uses Hambly rub-ons, Memory Box dies, white ribbon, Studio Calico for Hero Arts stamp, and a Paper Trey impression plate. The lighting doesn't capture how elegant and textured this sweet card is, I just love it!




















And this sweet project uses Paper Smooches stamps and Studio Calico for Hero Arts (banner pieces), there is a Paper Trey Impression plate on the background of this as well and I used Fresh Ink for the wonderful ombre treatment on the banner and pulled the colors of the mom and baby from that. :o)

If anyone else had projects that got no love, and you want some love from me I am glad to give it, leave a comment with your blog link and I will pop on by!!

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Letting Go

From the outside looking into my life you might not see the constant creative chaos that I have been living in. I love every second of it, and am so grateful for all of the opportunities and blessings that have been showered upon me. But for this summer it has been too much and I wasn't sure how I would continue to do it all. Then I had a duh moment where I realized I didn't need to do it all and that I am no good to anyone if I am spread to thin. I would have to make the incredibly hard choice of what to let go of, and with the smallest of my responsibilities lying in a cute online shop in Issaquah Washington called Ellen Hutson it was my contributions to the CLASSroom blog, posting projects and tutorials that I would have to let go of.  It was incredibly hard as I love sharing my penchant for all things technique-y and geeky to make this choice, but it is also one of the places in my brain that took a lot of fire power and that was what I needed most to re-arrange. So with much sadness I had my last post there today and have been replaced by the delightful Julie Ebersol who is sure to dazzle and delight with her clever design and quick wit.

So what is it that has kept me hopping?

For the last year I have been contributing to the Graphic 45 in house team, and have loved every second of it. My assignments range from creating projects for special events or the trade shows to writing up instructions for classes. I love this job, the team that I work with is incredible and I feel very blessed to be able to call each of them friend.

On top of that I have been working with a local store called Heartland on their design team and as a class instructor. This decision happened in a very round about way, I was heartbroken when I received an email from the previous owner saying that they were closing down both stores. So when the Bountiful shop was purchased I determined that local businesses need help to survive and that I would do what I could to help them. There are so many great online shopping opportunities that it has really placed a strain on the smaller brick and mortar shops to compete, and what is it that they can offer to bring in customers? People who know and love paper and are willing to share that enthusiasm. Well, I can do that and while it hasn't been easy to fit into my schedule, but I am hoping that it makes a difference.

This is a Magic of Oz class that I am teaching on September 29th. There is a ton of product in the kit, and four projects to make. I am looking forward to sharing my love for Graphic 45 products with those who are able to join me that evening.

With all that life gives us, it would stand to reason that learning how to adjust would get easier at some point, but I think that change actually gets harder and more complicated as relationships develop. Letting go is hard to do.

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9.10.11

I love numerical coincidences! I am not good at finding them or seeing them for myself, my brain is a little too big picture to recognize or identify them, but when they are pointed out I enjoy them so much! I feel very lucky to have a few of the small picture/detail brained people in my home so they are very patient and kind in pointing out these lovely moments for me.

This is one of those "lucky to be me" kind of days too, I have been watching the US Open tennis tournament cheering and talking to the tv because it has been so exciting, cruising through itunes and using the gift card Laurel gave me for Mom's Day to purchase the Maroon 5 album (I have had "Moves Like Jagger" stuck in my head!!) and doing a little crafting (very little, the other distractions are so FAB!!) I really need to run to the office store to buy some ink for my printer, I have a few layouts on my desk that are waiting for pics, but I need to feed the printer so it will be willing to spit those out for me  ;o)

Over at the Hambly blog, I shared a tutorial on weaving washi tape. It is a really fun technique, and not that hard.

I won't be blogging tomorrow, but I wanted to share a memory from 9/11/01 in remembrance of the ten years that have passed since that tragic day.
I was a chaperon at my sons 6th grade camp and it was the day we took them out on their long hike through the beautiful Wasatch Mountain range. It was a beautiful day and the kids were behaving well for typical 12 year olds. We stopped on top of one of the ridges that offered a spectacular view and marveled at the beauty.    While we were doing this huge swarms of ladybugs moved through the air and landed on all of us, as well as the trees, bushes and ground. Having hiked a lot and spending a lot of time outside and never seeing anything like this before I was in amazement, it was one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had in my life, and the other adults in the group made similar remarks. We continued on our way and dropped into camp a couple of hours later, exhausted and ready for some quiet time with the kids in the late afternoon. As soon as we arrived one of the teachers who had stayed behind pulled all of the adults aside and informed us of what had been happening through the day. They were left with the decision of how to handle it with the kids, and whether they should even tell them or not. We ended up out at the big campfire ring telling the children about the events and then having a somber dinner and packing up the next morning and heading home.
Watching all of the news and reviews of the previous days events when we got home was so overwhelming. I couldn't understand how something so awful could happen and how so many lives could be lost in such a few short moments. Ten years later, the loss is still mind boggling and we are left with the question of how much did this change the path of America.
My take away from the event is to live life to the fullest each day, and to live that life generously, kindly and with forgiveness, no one knows what the next day may bring.

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Paper Smooches FOLKal Points

While in Seattle I had the opportunity to play with the FOLKal Points stamp set from Paper Smooches. The set is so cute (but isn't all of Kim's work absolutely adorable?) and this Matryoshka  doll makes me smile from ear to ear! She is so sweet, and it was really fun to paper piece her from a couple different lines of Prima's newest paper pads. I used Printery in 6" x 6" and Romantique in 8" x 8". The colors were warm and have lent a nice warm and vintage feeling to this card.

I left it without any sentiment so it could be used for any occasion. What do you think, does it need one?
Spent today playing some tennis, hiking in the mountains and doing some creating with the latest Graphic 45 products, so in love with the ABC Primer collection, amazing!
Anyway, the kids are loving the University of Utah and it is super cute that Tyler and Chloe have a math class and first semester French together (awe!) Having three college students still boggles my mind, but having them all at home makes me so happy, LOVE them!!

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September 1st!! Already?

Okay, after a whirl wind trip to the gorgeous Pacific North West and five days of blissfully perfect weather I am back to my wonderful life and happy to be back with my family. I had a wonderful time with the spectacular Karolyn Loncon and incredible Kim Hughes. We ate, laughed, cropped and even played some bingo, seriously good times!!

I took a few things to play with, some of which was the new Doodlebug Monster Mania line with the super easy and fun to use Create-A-Cards and was able to put together some Halloween cards that I just adore!


















I hauled pounds of crafty stuff and Karolyn has a palace full of wonderful toys, but for some reason I didn't come home with as many projects finished as I probably should have. Might have been all the munching on the delicious fresh fruit I was doing instead of working  ;o)

That is okay though, it was supposed to be a vacation, so no expectations went with me. I came home refreshed and now I am ready to tackle what ever comes my way, unless it is a rhinoceros, that I might dodge.

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ABC Primer by Graphic 45

All I can say about this release is OH MY!! I knew when I first saw it that it would become a fast favorite, but then it arrived in my house and it is truly amazing! It has such rich colors and the stamps are absolute perfection!



















I shared a tutorial on how to mask stamps to layer images in the CLASSroom. Head on over if you are curious about how I achieved the combination, it is much easier than it looks and is a technique that can be used in many ways!

I am going to be missing a few days here at the blog, taking a little time up in Seattle for vacation and hoping to come back with some fun stories, interesting pictures and projects to share!

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Welcome to the Last Day of Blogs for Boobies!

There us still time to join in on the fun(draising)!!!! There are two ways you can help:
 
#1 There is still time to bid on my project:  Here is another look at what I have up for auction.  

The auction will end at 8:00 p.m. Mountain time August 23rd.

The highest bid is currently:$12.50
To win this simply bid more than what ever the current highest bid is in the comment section of THIS post.  YOU MUST INCLUDE your EMAIL ADDRESS with your $ bid. ( This way we can get in contact with the winning bidder.)
Remember 100% of what you bid will go to the Komen foundation!!! If you are the top bidder you will receive a paypal invoice for the amount that you bid. 


To sweeten the reason to bid, I have created another project that will be sent with the original, so whoever is the highest bidder will receive two cards!!

#2  There is still time to shop!!!  Through midnight on the 23rd of August Skipping Stones Design is still donating $2 (to the Komen Foundation) for every stamp set sold.  



I hope YOU can help ME make a difference!!
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This Is All I Need

Right now I am living the dream.

No, really. I am not trying to be coy or cute or gushy. It is just a straight up fact that I have literally everything I need in my life right now, and it is emotionally a very overpowering feeling.

No, my life isn't perfect either. That is not at all what I would even begin to imply, as a matter of fact it is the imperfections and challenges that have made me realize how what I have at this very moment is really all that I need. Of course there are a LOT of things that I WANT, I'm human and woman who loves good shoes. But that is beside my point. What I am so enraptured with right now is that we have a roof over heads that is cool when it is too hot outside, and warm when it is too cool. We have what we need to eat and enough money to keep our very well traveled gas guzzling car on the road to get us where we need to be. We have clothing to cover nakedness (and just speaking for myself, that is a great thing! No one needs a big dose of my nekkid!!) I have a belief system that comforts me when I lose someone I care about very much and most of all we have a home filled with all of the people that mean the very most to me. I won't be able to say that for much longer so it seemed appropriate to shout it from the rooftops tonight.

 
It is a feeling that overwhelms me and fills my heart up to the point that I think I might actually burst. As a matter of fact just thinking and typing about how much gratitude and joy I have in my heart, I am ready to cry and have big tears welling up in my tired eyes.

If I could make one wish for everyone in the whole world, tonight it would be that everyone could experience that same feeling of overwhelming love and joy in their lives.

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Skipping Stones Blog 4 Boobies Fundraiser!!

IT'S TIME TO STAMP OUT CANCER!!!!

Welcome to the second annual Blog 4 Boobies fundraiser!

This is day 1 of a 3 day blog bounce(hop) where EVERY CARD OR PROJECT is up for auction!

Last year Skipping Stones Design raised and donated $1108.99 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It is our goal to raise $1500 this year and WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! There are 3 ways you can join in on the fun(draising)

1. You can help by Going shopping!

For every stamp set that you purchase during August 15th through the 23rd SSD will donate $2 to the Komen Foundation. Stamping and shopping that you can feel good about ! Click Here to laugh at some of our funniest stamps Click Here to be inspired or Click here to see everything we've got!

Here are two of my favorite sets:

Heartsong:

Bras Volume #1

2. You can help by *Biding!

Another way you can help us raise money for the Komen Foundation is to *bid on a project or card along the blog bounce(hop). YES! EVERY Single card/project along the blogs for boobies bounce is up for auction. We recommend a starting bid of $5 or more. Your *Bid not only includes the card or project but shipping to your home as well. * See how to place a bid for more detailed instructions.

If you are the highest bidder August 23rd 8:00 p.m. mountain time then you WIN the card/project that you bid on.

3. You can help by Telling Your Friends~

Help us spread the word about "blogs 4 boobies" the more people that know, the more money we can raise!!!

If you have a blog feel free to copy and paste part or all of our Blogs 4 Boobies posts.

*"How to place a bid on my card/project"

Step #1

Find the comment section of the blog that shows the "Blogs 4 boobies" card or project that you want to buy. *Please note you may only bid on the card/project shown in the specific "blogs 4 boobies" post. *Any bids not placed on the correct post will be considered invalid.

Step #2

Once you are in the "blogs 4 boobies" comment section fill in the dollar and cents amount of what you are willing to pay for the card/project. We recommend a starting bid of $5 or more. Remember your bid includes shipping as well as the card/or project. 100% of the money your bid will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation

Step #3

Next to your $ bid please type in your email address. During a silent auction bidders sign their name next to their bid. Typing your email address is the electronic equivalent of signing your bid. Also it will help the blogger contact you if you are the highest bidder.

Step #4

Watch and wait.

Once you have entered your bid/comment sit back and wait. If someone out bids you then you may bid again. Bidding will continue until 8:00 p.m. Mountain time August 23rd

* Please note that the participating stampers/bloggers will probably re-post their Blogs 4 Boobies card/project on the 23rdof September. When the blogger re-post their project then the bidding will continue on the NEWEST post and that comment section.

"What do I do once I place a bid"

Watch and Wait

The "Winner of the Auction" Will be the highest bid (that includes an email address)in the comment section of the MOST RECENT blogs 4 boobies post at the end of the silent auction. Please note that ALL cards/projects WILL BE REPOSTED on the 23rd of September. The silent auction will end at 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time on August 23rd .

Things to keep in mind:

Near the end of the bidding you may not see bids as they come in. Most blog have a comment feature where the blogger must approve comments before they are published. So bid high. You might have the highest bid that is published, but someone might have outbid you in an unpublished comment/bid.

The blogger/designer will declare who has won the silent auction. Skipping Stones Design will send you an invoice for your donation/bid ammount. Please pay that invoice as soon as possible, so the designer can get your card/project in the mail to you.

REmember 100% of your bid will be donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

You are here at my blog ______________.

You should have come to me from ________________'s blog_________

Next you are going to visit _____________'s blog ______________________.

Here is the list of today's participants: make sure to come back the next two days and check out our other amazing designers,cards, and projects.

Day #1:

PaperCrafts Connections Blog (Renae Curtz)

Deb Felts

Michelle Giraud

Michelle Gross

Wendy Jordan

Sarah Martina Parker

Becky Olsen

Barb Turpin

Taylor Usry

Brenda Weaver

Have fun bouncing from blog to blog. Enjoy all the designs, and make a bid or two! This is a rare opportunity to take home a

card(s)/project from your favorite designer, and fight the war against breast cancer!!!

Together we can make a difference!!!

Scrapbook Workshop!

First, HUGE congrats to the artist who devised the concept and saw it through to completion, May Flaum! The book has been available as an auto-delivery (download) for a few days now and has reached #3 on the craft/hobby list and is the #1 paper craft title!!


Second, so honored and thrilled to have had the opportunity to contribute to this project! The other artists who participated as well are some of my very favorite, and I have no doubt that this book will be inspiring and educating me for years, and that the blogs these artists maintain will become part of my daily routine to nurture and care for my soul. I am including the list here, but they are going into my sidebar as well in a special category so if you wish to indulge yourself, they are available to you as well.

Anna Aspnes

www.annaaspnes.typepad.com

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

www.balzerdesigns.typepad.com

Kimberly Crawford

www.kimberly-crawford.blogspot.com

Lisa Dickinson

www.lisadickinson.typepad.com

May Flaum

www.mayflaum.com

Nora Griffin

www.justmakestuff.com

Debbie Hodge

www.debbiehodge.com

Sasha Holloway

www.sassysasha.typepad.com

Nathalie kalbach

www.scrapbook-trends.com

Megan Klauer

www.meganklauerdesign.blogspot.com

Kendra McCracken

www.kendramccracken.blogspot.com

Becky Olsen

www.lifeasathreeleggeddog.blogspot.com

Katie Pertiet

www.katiepertiet.typepad.com

Kelly Purkey

www.kellypurkey.typepad.com

Debee Ruiz

www.debeecampos.blogspot.com

Doris Sander

www.sanderdk.typepad.com

Keshet Shenkar Starr

www.keshetstarr.com

Melissa Stinson

www.scrappyjedi.com

Irene Tan

www.scrapperlicious.blogspot.com

Sharyn Tormanen

www.sharyntormanen.typepad.com

Lisa Truesdell

www.gluestickgirl.typepad.com

Tammy Tutterow

www.tammytutterow.typepad.com

Iris Babao Uy

www.irisbabaouy.typepad.com

Wendy Vecchi

www.studio490art.blogspot.com

Dina Wakley

www.dinastamps.typepad.com

Deena Ziegler

www.deenaziegler.typepad.com

Sneak peek from one of the projects I created for this, any guesses as to what technique I might have been using?

Happy Crafting!!

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Card Ideas For Paper Crafters

If you like using sketches to help your creative process, then the second installment that started out as Go To Sketches 2 which is now Card Ideas for Paper Crafters is going to be right up your alley!!
















I have three projects in this issue, and I hope you trust me when I say this special issue is a must have! The inspiration the sketches give is exceptional, but also the projects that are inside the covers are magic! All kinds of different styles and interpretations really help with seeing more possibilities than what the basic sketch provides.

Here is a peek at just one of the cards, to see the rest you need to open the pages of this fantastic publication yourself. And to make it an even better experience, grab a large size of your favorite beverage, sit in a really soft and comfy chair and schedule out a few hours to just sit and peruse, You are worth it!

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Using Graphic 45 Metal Staples to Make Unique Jewelry

So it is not made of paper, but it is a really fun way to use crafting supplies to create a necklace that is eye-catching and sure to have people asking where you found it or how you made it!


















All of the instructions on how it was done are over in the CLASSroom if you are interested!

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August 1st is National Girlfriend Day!

Today is a great day to appreciate the special girlfriends you have in your life! I appreciate the contributions and quality that all of my girlfriends have provided to me in my life, and I hope that I have done the same for others. Without these special people, my life would be poorer and have no dimension of thought, no texture of culture or belief and no range of age or experience to draw upon for support or information.

I am eternally grateful for all who have been there for me, and hope to continue being a stalwart friend to all who need one. Don't forget, a friend is a gift you give yourself :o)

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The Perfect Day!

Yesterday (July 28th, 2011) was one of "those" days. An unplanned, the stars aligned, perfect kind of day. It started simply enough with Brady scooping me up from home at 8:00 am for a hike in Little Cottonwood Canyon. We decided to see if the wild flowers that Albion Basin is famous for were in full bloom yet. The temperature was perfect, the skies clear and the mountain lush and inviting. There were beautiful niches everywhere to explore, and Brady found an old ski lift chair that provided a quick respite from the vigorous climb to that point.














We got to the meadow and found that some of the blooms were on, but the majority were not quite ready (a reason for another hike to this beautiful location in a week or so!) for their debut. We found many more tranquil spots as we continued our hike on up to Cecret Lake, and gloried in the solitude that had been afforded us in this national park. It soon got busier as the time wore on, and we had to share the space with a few more people who had come to revel in the clean and crisp mountain air.

When we arrived we found Cecret Lake as full as could be and many snow field still melting into her body. This made for the magical sound of waterfalls tinkling from any of the crevices that would allow moisture to flow through. These sounds are so rejuvenating as are the visual glory and luscious scents that nature provided for us. We sat on an outcropping of rocks for a while and just soaked in the incredible beauty that surrounded us on all sides. We did eventually have to head back to the valley, but did so with full hearts, happy spirits and clear heads.



















Then the hubbers and two oldest kids whisked me away (after a quick shower) to catch a matinee of Captain America in 3-D. What a fun movie, and I enjoyed that time with my family so much!

We arrived home from that just in time for me to change into some jeans and comfy shoes so I could go spend the evening with Brady and Chef Andrew at Sur La Table for a cooking class called "Indian made Easy". We had the best time! The fellow class mates were all foodies as well, and it was so fun to learn about a food type that I love to eat but had never learned to cook. Chef Andrew is an incredible instructor, his energy is so contagious and his enthusiasm for sharing his passion is evident in all he does! His menus are perfectly prepared and so thoughtful, and his attention to detail makes each of these classes a complete delight to attend.

And of course we eat, a lot!

 After class had ended, Brady presented me with a large pastry box and inside were a dozen delicious and adorable red velvet cupcakes that he had made for me after our hike! Seriously, do I have the best friends, or what?!!! Nibbling on a cupcake while watching the Project Runway Season 9 premiere as I was crocheting was how I rang in the beginning of my 45th year. It truly was a perfect day, and one that I hope I can remember every sweet detail of for the rest of my life. I think if I had tried to plan a day that amazing I would somehow have messed it up, but the way it all came together was truly amazing. I am a very lucky and blessed girl.

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p.s. It is my 45th birthday today, and I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of birthday wishes. Many thanks to all of you who have thought of me today, it means so very much!

The Goodies Go To...

Thanks for the kind and thoughtful comments, you made me feel better when I was feeling very challenged!

The goodies are going to Heather, so please send me an email with your shipping information.

This card will also be coming to you Heather, I just made it for the CLASSroom and the details on how to make one like it can be found in this post: Embossed Metal Foil.

Here in Utah it is Pioneer Day, so we are celebrating by doing a whole lot of relaxing and maybe roasting some marshmallows for s'mores in the backyard fire-pit :o)

And while the last week was really challenging, and my camera will be on its way to the Canon facilities, my computers hard drive was replaced and I found all of my backed up files on my external hard drive. So I am breathing a big sigh of relief that my other hardware did what it was supposed to! We do so need our technology to make our lives easier, and so I am very grateful for the recovered images and data!

Here is to some happy crafting and lazy summer days!
B-

Pictureless Post

Well, it has been an interesting week! (to say the least!)

This will be the first pictureless post in I don't know how long, and it isn't because I don't have loads to share, cuz I do!! It is because on Wednesday my Canon 40d started reporting and error 99 message and won't shoot anymore, and then on Thursday my desktop with all of my images on it had a massive crash and is now in the shop with an expert trying his best to resuscitate it. Not only that, but it has been a week of massive deadlines and such so to say the least, I am spent!

The good part about being so spent is that I have a lot of good stuff to share though, so if you happen to be lucky enough to get to the Summer CHA tradeshow, please go by the Graphic 45 booth and ogle all of the amazing projects that have been created for the gorgeous new releases. If there is a paper on flower something, I made it, if there is a little puffy star with glitter, I made it, and the holly wreath, hand inked each leaf. The cute little Cat's Eye ink pad is now completely destroyed, but the effect was well worth it! (thanks for your sacrifice to the cause little ink pad, you are so appreciated!) Besides that, Allison Kreft from Hambly overnighted some of the new product release to me that I got on Thursdays, I then made three layouts and sent them off on Friday so she would receive them on Monday, giving her enough time to get them on display. No work for Doodlebug this show, but they have a really great group of releases too, all of it is clever and oh, so cute!!

Another set of deadlines comes in the form of having the opportunity to work with a local store now. I will be a member of their design team, and also teaching classes for them about once a month. The store is called Heartland Paper, and you can find a link to there blog on my sidebar if you are interested in learning more about them. I am really enjoying working with Donna and her team, they are all very nice and so talented! I hope to be sharing more about this as things move along. The two teaching dates that I am scheduled for right now are September 29th, and I will be teaching a class using the Magic of Oz product from Graphic 45 and then October 20th where I will be teaching a class using the Scor-Pal to create cute gift packaging from Doodlebug's Monster Mania Line. (which as I mentioned earlier, is SO adorable!!) The open house to sign up for classes is going to be on August 10th, so mark your calenders if you are local and interested! And of course there are going to be loads of wonderful classes to take, so if what I am sharing isn't appealing, come look at what the other instructors are offering, there is something for everyone!

In non-paper news, the family went to the midnight release showing of Harry Potter and we LOVED it!! What an exciting, bittersweet, beautifully made film! We will be going back to see it again on the big screen, it was incredible in that format, and to only experience it once that way would be a shame.

Well, that is that for now! I hope to have my desktop back soon, and share some of what I have been so excited about with all of you! If you have made it this far you must be a saint, so leave a comment, and I will randomly select someone from the comments to send a goody box to!

Happy Crafting!!

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No Paper Crafts Gallery Idol For Me

Darn, I didn't make the cut. But given how hectic my schedule is, I am thinking it was a blessing in disguise. The people that did make the cut are very talented, so this will be a fun competition to watch.

So even though it wasn't my day ;o)
Congrats to all of those gals, and good luck!!

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Paper Crafts Gallery Idol 2011

It is July 5th already? Today is the day after the deadline for Paper Crafts Gallery Idol and I have a paper crafting hang over I think! Besides having a wonderful July 4th that I spent with my family and friends, I was able to paper craft most of the day for the Gallery Idol contest and for the submission deadline that Paper Crafts had for their Jan/Feb 2012 issue. I feel so lucky that I have the opportunity to spend my day like this, and this makes me even more grateful for the freedoms that I have been blessed with as an American.



















The theme challenge for the Gallery Idol competition opening round was "Congratulations" and I submitted 8 cards along this line. Yeah, with over 1600+ entries my chances are pretty slim to get into the top 20, but I am keeping my fingers crossed, and hope maybe you can keep yours crossed for me too!! If you are looking for inspiration along these lines, pop into the Flickr photostream to see what many talented people have done to throw their hats into the ring.

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Hi!

Hi!

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p.s. Hambly card gift set made for a friends birthday :o)

Sending Sunshine

Having spent the last week under the weather, I thought it would be nice to share some sunshine with anyone else who might need some. This little card makes me smile, and the Maya Road felt piece is so darling who can resist its charm?




















Now that I am on some antibiotics, and did a little online shopping at Ellen Hutson's for some retail therapy, I am feeling much better! Now my days and nights are being spent preparing projects for Graphic 45's CHA booth. I feel so lucky to have seen the coming releases, can I just say WOW!! So while my to-do list seems endless, getting the chance to play with these papers is a big jolt of adrenaline!
And with that being said, I am going to go get back at it!
Happy Monday!!
B-

Hambly Transparency Art Journal

I have always wanted to create in an art journal, but certain logistics and personal creative quirks have held me back. Being on the Hambly design team with a high caliber artist like Dina Wakley has inspired me to take the plunge, and so I took a hard look at all the parameters that had previously held me back and designed a unique art journal to fit my quirky needs.


















I had to have a transparency so that when and if something spilled on it, I wouldn't panic or stress. I would be able to wipe it right off. I also needed pages that I could take out and put back in very easily and that would be able to take a lot of abuse and wet layers, so I made manila pages.

This is what the inside of the album looks like, for a complete tutorial on how to make one visit the Hambly blog.

Now it sits on a shelf waiting for me to have a few minutes here and there to play, and I am excited to use it!

Can't wait to stick little notes, ink washes, inspirational thoughts, and favorite stamps and patterned papers in this little cutie!!

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Father's Day Treat Tutorial

I shared a fun and easy treat container tutorial over on the Hambly blog. We plan on using these this Sunday for placeholders, but there are so many other fun occasions or events that you could use them for, sky is the limit with this cute craft!

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Dad You Are A Classic

Father's Day is just around the corner, ack!! That means that June is almost half over already, where did it go? The time is flying by, with a graduate to congratulate, an anniversary to celebrate and a birthday to enjoy, plus a family vacation to visit grand parents, we have been plenty busy. It will be nice to slow down this Sunday to appreciate my husband and what a fantastic father he is, and to do something special for him. He certainly does that for each of the members of our family every day.
The card has a tutorial written up over at the CLASSroom, it is a Tim Holtz die cut that has the Marketplace tissue tape on it. I have to admit that I am a Craft-a-Board addict, it is the greatest weight, color and texture, if you haven't tried it, you should. You will never want to use chipboard again!
Well, I am off to do some more crafting and tackling of the week, my husband and I are celebrating our 24th anniversary today  :o)

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Once Upon A Springtime Tussy Mussy

Do you love Graphic 45? Do you love tussy mussies? How about the combination of the two?


















I had the opportunity to make a few projects for the Graphic 45 booth at this Winter's CHA, and it was a thrill to see how beautifully the Once Upon A Springtime collection tussy mussies turned out. I have been meaning to share these pictures for months, but kinda forgot about them until tonight when I was cleaning out some image files from my poor over-stuffed desktop. There is a Tutorial in the Ellen Hutson E-zine on how to put one of these lovelies together if you are interested.



















The dimension on these in real life is extraordinary, and the colors are simply stunning.



















I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to play with products like these from the extraordinarily talented minds at Graphic 45, and swoon with each new collection release.



















Are you a fan of the Graphic 45 fan page on Facebook? If you aren't consider it, you will see the sneak peeks of all the releases and get updates on when the blog is updated with projects from their amazing design team. Exquisite eye candy that is sure to inspire!

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