Getting ready for Scrap Pink!

In just one week, I am off to spend the weekend with Mary Kay and all of the Colorado Chicas at Scrapbook Destination!!!

The reason is the fundraiser called ScrapPink that Better Homes and Gardens "Scrapbooks Etc." coordinates with scrapbook stores all over the states. It is for breast cancer research, a subject that many of us feel strongly about! I get to go and have fun, but I am also doing some make-n-takes on Saturday at the store from 2-4, and teaching a mini-class for all the participants of the crop. So excited, that I had to share a little sneak preview of the project for the class! We are going to be getting very inky and playing with some fun stamps and techniques, I can't wait!

A few other cool things on the horizon to whisper about...

My blog-a-versary is next week too!

So I will be doing some give-aways, please check back for that.

And World Card Making day is just two weeks away as well, and I have a little sharing to do with that as well!!!

Loads of excitement around here!

So, who is going to be attending a ScrapPink event? Leave me a note letting me know what and where you will be supporting this fundraiser, and I will be picking someone randomly to send out some goodies to.

Have a FAB Friday!

B-

Sketch Challenge

There is a sketch challenge every other Wednesday at Cornish Heritage Farms, and I try to play when I can. This sketch really intrigued me, and I played with the shapes in a fun and texture filled way. The houndstooth backgrounder in Denim Distress ink on Prism cardstock is the base for the layout, then I used Claudine Hellmuth's paint, 7 Gypsies paper, American Crafts letters and some Jenni Bowlin stars. The end design is more freestyle than I usually do, and is thin on embellishing, but I like the simple feel of it.
The other girs playing:
-Lesley
-Julia
-Jen
-Kristine
Hope you have some time to play, here is the forum link if you can join us!
Off to do Wednesday!
B-

Some overlooked life details

It is the little things in life that I love, and appreciate, and yet here a few weeks have gone by and I haven't said Happy Birthday to Nikolay, such a bad doggy mommy! His first birthday was Sept 2nd! He celebrated by sneaking some cat food. Yes, he and Novak have figured out how to open the metal container that we kept the food in. Notice the past tense, now the kitty chow is being stored in the garage. Mr. Search and Mr. Destroy at your service. If I weren't a little embarassed about what they get away with, I would show you a picture of the leather sofa that they enjoy. It is a resting place, a perch and a snack all in one, does it get any better? Today is Kim's release day at Cornish Heritage Farms, so a little birthday card for him...

Other little details, Tyler is getting ready to go on a mission for the LDS church. It is kind of funny having him around during the day while the other kids are at school, but he is super helpful and I am trying to enjoy every minute with him that I can, I am really going to be sad when he is off on his own! Carter is really enjoying jr. high, he has grown so much this last summer, and it is a milestone that I am not happy to see that my baby is now a big guy! Chloe is at AMES and flourishing! She loves the smaller class sizes and the kids there are very easy to be around and so respectful of their learning environment. Perfect for her! Laurel is a senior at Skyline and really enjoying her classes! Graphics, painting, Algebra 2, Japanese 3 and the typical english and government classes with some PE. Good teachers with interesting classes keeps her out of trouble!

Very grateful that everyone is happy and healthy here, a wonderful combination to be sure!
B-

Never too old!

It is getting closer to fall here, and one of my favorite things about fall is Halloween!
I love decorating, and the candy...
YUMMERS!

We love getting out the costumes and talking about what everyone is going to be for the festivities. There have been some very fun and wacky costume ideas conceived in our brain storming! Last year Carter was a Garden Gnome, Chloe was a devil, Tyler was an old kung-fu master and Laurel was an anime character. Good times!
I loved making this layout, I used Kim's silouhette blooms and the pin dot Scrapblock to make my own background paper. A little purple paint and bling, and it was done!
Looking forward to decorating and preparing for this year's holiday! And can't wait to get some more pics of the kids goofing off!
Enjoy your Monday!
B-

Play in your paint!

The newest Method Playground challenge is to play in your paing while it is wet.
This is a fun way to get some texture going by either removing or adding paint with stamps, a stylus or random household items.
I used the large dot backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms when my paint was wet to remove paint from some areas and add a few dots in others. The background paper is from Zach's life and the felt is from Fancy Pants. I rarely do layouts about my husband, so I thought it would be a great change to give him some face time. Pretty cute even after all those years of tough living I have put him through, LOL!
B-

Challenge chicks!!!

Good Monday Morning!!!
Waking up to a beautiful day here in Utah, sunny skies, birds singing and a challenge fresh off the farm! The challenge is to get out your "Adirondack" inks and play with them! Here is a link to the challenge thread if you want to play along, you can share a link there!

Prism cardstock base. Then I stamped with the Adirondack inks in the colors of "aqua" and "red pepper" on piece of patterned paper from the Thomas Kinkade Christmas pack. The sentiment is from the "Primitive Beginings" by Rummage Bin and the heart is from the "Sweet Thang" set by Kim Hughes. Maya Road chipboard house and heart and Cornish Heritage Farms flocking. A little hand stitching while the football game was on and it was done!
For other stunning inspiration go visit these chicks!!!


Julia
Joanne
Kristine
Lisa Silver
Julie
Dawn
Jen
Kim
Alli
Michele
Val

I hope you have a chance to play along with us!
Tomorrow I am posting the latest Method Playground challenge, a very fun and messy one you will want to try that one of our new team members, Pam gave to us!

Hope your Monday is wonderful!
B-

Getting back in the groove...

I haven't had the time or mojo to get any stamping or scrapping done this week, so today I am spending it in the craft room trying to excavate my mojo from underneath of all of the "stuff"!the picture isn't as crisp as I would like, but we will pretend it is ;o)
I made this layout a few weeks ago with Kim's new papers. I just love the colors in this group, they are so fresh and easy to work with! And there is some serious cute factor too! The pink layer is actually from the Scrapblock layer pack and is stamped on with the Scrapblock "Daisy Chain". The flower is so cute, I wish that I had hundreds of them, it is from Maya Road and I use them so sparingly because I have never been able to find them in my local shops! That one came from a Jenni Bowlin kit.
The US Open has been wonderful this week, unfortunately two of today's matches were rained out, so for the next two days I am going to get even less done, I tend to get really caught up in the action, so the distraction continues!!!
The kids had a great week at school, and actually doing their homework without being nagged, how long do you think that might last?
And the dogs are keeping us honest. they started "working" on the leather sofa the other day, and whenever we don't have an eye on them, they start picking at it...
ugh.
They are just so stinking cute, they get away with too much! Just like the kids, LOL!
Hope you all have a wonderful mojo filled weekend!
B-

Just a quick post...

Quite a while ago, the FAB Tia Bennet had posted a fun idea using empty packaging to make party favors. I loved the idea, but with older kids, never had the chance to utilize the idea.
So a few weeks ago I face the empty packaging yet again, and thought to myself, I can make this work differently somehow, just be smarter than the package...

Voila, a little butterfly shaker card!
So a sweet sentiment from the Mona Lisa Moments "Friends" set and a large dot backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms, some cute Sassafrass Lass paper, glittered Doodlebug cardstock and my trusty Martha Stewart butterfly punch, and I had a little card that I think would be fun to tie to a gift that is different, you know, a plant or something that might be more disconcerting to attach a regular paper card to. A great way to re-use those packages you have hanging around that you have wondered what to do with!

Still watching lots of tennis, and the men's matches have been amazing! Tonight Roger played Andreev who happened to be playing out of his head, really pushed Roger to dig deep if he wanted to win it! And then Andy was on fire tonight, he just unraveled Gonzo! Woot! Good times!

Other than that, felt off today, a little fever, sore throat and bad tummy. I am sure that I will feel substantially better tomorrow ;o)

B-

US Open and Major Flair Disaster...

This weekend I have been glued to the tv watching the US Open! There have been some outstanding matches and some that have been less than stellar, but it is always amazing to watch! As a player, I can completely admire and apprecite the skill level that these athletes perform at, seriously incredible! It is also very inspiring for me to want to work on my game and improve my level of competitive play! Love that game!

And whilst watching the Federer/Stepanek match, I made a cute little flair for my facebook friends, and after I sent it the first time, it gave me a re-try message...
So of course being the stubborn and persistent person that I am, I kept re-trying, all three times the message came up. After the third time, I decided it would probably be prudent to wait and send my little gifty later. So I go back to my profile page and find, to my horror, that my generosity had been magnified through the help of technology!

I think I need to learn from this experience that message doesn't mean re-send. It really means get over it and if it is really important to you, try again later.

In other goings on, Cornish Heritage Farms is giving double club points on purchases made through tomorrow! Love that!

And I have made my airline reservations for a trip to Denver to support Scrapbook Destinations "Scrap Pink" fundraiser event. Mary Kay does an amazing job organizing this event, it is fun, inspirational and so touching, great to bond with your sisters for a wonderful cause!

Anyway, I hope that this holiday weekend is relaxing and rejuvinating for all of you, and I am off to watch Andy Roddick play some tennis, lucky me!!!
B-

Taking things for granted

I try really hard not to take things for granted, but still it creeps up on you...

You know, being grateful that your kids are really great, your husband is a saint for putting up with you, your friends are angels for the very same reason...

You know, that kind of stuff.

So today is one of those days when I just want to let everyone who is a part of life know how deeply I appreciate all that they give to me day in and out.

A little cyber card to say thanks to all of you!

It is an interesting board check for me when I have dear friends who have troubles that are so much harder than my own. When all I can do is let them know that I would do anything in my power for them, and hope with all my heart that if they genuinely needed anything that they would trust in the words I spoke to them, and ask.
I am what my husband and I refer to as a "fixer" and that is not always a good thing. I just so desperately want things to be right for everyone all the time. I know that it is an impossibility, it is just the way I tick. But, honestly, how many of us as women aren't that way? Very few I am sure. Just so hard to step away and let it transpire.
Anyway, just wanted to share a day of gratitude and introspection, thanks for being there for me!
B-

It is class time!!!

Do you have time to join me?
This gift bag is what we are making tonight!
Super FAB, super EASY!!!

There will be an online chat at 5:00 pm mountain time and the class thread will be open forever more...
or at least until next January ;o)

Hope to see you there!
B-

Method Playground

I can hardly believe that it is time for another challenge post! I am really excited about this one, one of the new team members gave it! It is great to have some FAB cheerleaders join us with some fresh ideas!!!

So Brenda's challenge to us was:

Have you ever just found that piece of patterned paper that you absolutley LOVE and wanted to re-create a design from it. Well, here is your chance. My challenge to you is to take that paper and play off of it. Wether it is as simple as Circles or a flower - or like the tree's I re-created from the piece of Scrapworks paper I used - show me what you can come up with - I want to see I want to see the design in your paper repeated in your layout somewhere.
I really love how this project turned out! The colors make me very happy and of course who doesn't love a cute chick? LOL!!!

Hope you will find some time to play!

Also, I will be hosting an online class at Cornish Heritage Farms tomorrow, it is a very easy and useful project, so I hope you can find some time to join me there as well! I will post a sneak of the project sometime tomorrow!

And last but definitely NOT least, a quick pic of Novak waking up from a little afternoon nap...

Such a SWEET boy!!!

B-

It is official...

I am addicted to Facebook and I can thank Cath for that final push. She wrote a post about her addiction and I thought to myself what does a gal like her see in it, so off I went to check it out and of course within 15 minutes I was hooked and trying to figure out how to get my next fix, LOL!
The entire summer I have been nagging on the kids to get off the darn site, and now I can finally understand what the dealio about it is. Website crack...
Thanks Cath.

I did find a few minutes between watching the last day of the olympics and hanging with the kids on the last day of summer to make a few projects, so happy! This isn't one of them, I haven't had a chance to photo them yet, but it is from Kim's paper release, I LOVE that paper, so delish!
Anyway, new Method Playground tomorrow so check back if you can!
B-

Mocha Chica Day!!!!

It is Mocha Chica day at Cornish Heritage Farms!!!
What does that mean exactly?
Kim Hughes latest release is on the shelves and shipping!!!!

The papers are amazing, and the stamps that compliment are adorable!!!
Congrats dear Kim, so grateful you shared your gift with all of us!
Happy Mocha Chica Day all!
B-

Fun Linkage

Scrapbook and Cards Today Editor Kerry McRorie asked me to do a write-up of a technique from a layout that I had created and they published in their Summer 2008 edition.
I own most of the flavors of Maya road chipboard, so this technique is one that I have used more than once, LOL!
Try it if you have time to get a little dirty!
B-

Challenge Chicks!!!

It is a Challenge Chick day!

The challenge this fine Monday was to use a favorite product...
toughie, I know!
I have found myself using the distress crackle paint on many of my projects of late and thought that it would be a great one to share today!

This card used loads of fun stuff on it, and was a blast to make!
After I used the distress paint on the chipboard butterfly, I stamped the clock from the Rummage Bin to give it some texture and interest and then tied some ric-rac for the body.
Then for the card backgrounds, I stamped the "Spanish Script" backgrounder on the Webster's Pages patterned paper, and the Core-dinations white in the "Climbing Floral" to create a consistancy of color in the layers.
The flowers are by Keiser and the brad is from K & Co. a little hand stitching in DMC floss finishes the card off!

The other challenge chicks today are:

- Julia (Clear Card Sheets)
- Alli (glitter)
- Kristine (I Kan Dee chalk)
- Michele (Distress inks)
- Kim (Twinkling H2O's)
- Joanne (Glossy Accents)
- Dawn (leafing/gel pens)
- Lori (Distress Inks)
- Sherrie (New TK paper)
- Carole (Memento Dew Drop Inks)
- Val (Ranger Paint Dabbers)
- Julie (UTEE)

These girls do such beautiful work, so I hope that you have some time to go visit and get inspired to play with some of your favorite products today, I know I am!!!

Have a wonderful Monday friends!!!
B-

Happy Birthday Christyn!!!

Just a quick shout to Christyn for her birthday!



Hope you have a wonderful day!

B-

So many things going on...

There are so many fun things going on at Cornish Heritage Farms right now!
The Thomas Kinkade papers are shipping!!!
These papers are so easy and fun to use! These are the papers with the art, the packs also have amazing background pieces that are complimentary, YUMMY!



I am doing an online class that uses these papers, I hope you will join me!

We also have three new designers that were added to the farm, Jennifer Roach, Joanne Allison and Carole Burrage! I have added their links to the list on the left, if you have a little free time, you should visit, they are so talented!!!

The girls and I went out this afternoon and saw the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". I cried, Chloe welled up and Laurel made fun of us. Good times, LOL! I love sappy, pretty, message movies and so does Chloe! It was fun to share this with my girls!

I am sure there was more that I wanted to share, but I guess it will have to wait because I can't remember right now...

B-

Tie a Bow!

The Method Playground challenge was given by the adorable Stephanie Howell. She gave the challenge to tie a bow on your project. Something I love to do too, so big surprise I loved this challenge!!
We also added some wonderful new artists as Playground Girls, and this is the debut of their work! So excited to have Paula, Paloma, Pamela and Brenda sharing their work with us!
Hope you can find some time to tie a bow and play with us!
B-

So excited that it is Monday!

I love Mondays, I know that I am pretty alone in this, but the idea of starting a week off fresh new with loads of anticipation has always put me in a great place!
Today is no different! Dave and I saw the boys off for their week long scout camp very early, and after going back to bed for a short nap, I am ready to start the week full of energy!

Today the Challenge Chicks are using grungeboard, and this was my first time using it. I really enjoyed the properties this product displays. It holds paint beautifully, can be cut, manipulated and stamped on! Definitely something I would recommend you try!


Supplies used:

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: October Afternoon
Grungeboard
Grid Backgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Vanilla embossing powder (Cornish Heritage Farms)
American Crafts Thickers alphabet

The other Challenge Chicks:
-Julia
-Kristine
-Michele
-Kim
-Lesley
-Lori
-Dawn

Please go and visit them, you can find their links to the left! I am sure that they will leave you inspired and wanting to try some grungeboard! Here is a link to the thread at the Cornish Heritage Farms message board if you decide to share there.


I was going to share my Method Playground project as well, but I think that I will save that for tomorrow ;o)

Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

B-

A couple of pics from the beach

The beach at San Clemente is beautiful, and the kids had a great time!


Tyler enjoyed sitting in the sand, visiting with his Aunt and Grandma and people watching. Just a couple of visits to the water to get wet.

Laurel, Chloe, Carter and their cousin Kayla were in the water most of the time and when they weren't in the water they were digging in the sand!

The cliffs there are such a gorgeous backdrop. It is days like this one that do make me think about moving back. Then we drive home in the traffic a little later and I remember why I am okay with where we are at.

Tomorrow a new CHF challenge chicks project, so happy that I had time to play!
and also a new Method Playground challenge with a wonderful guest host that will be fun to play with!

Off to watch more of the olympics!
B-

Beck to reality...

After a few days at the happiest place on earth, and the beach, we have made it back to what we call home. You know, the dirty, messed up place where we keep all of our "stuff"! Dave and I went and picked the dogs up from "City Pet club" and brought them home, and they are so happy to back to their lawn, sofas and people as well, and who can blame them?

We have a lot to clean up, laundry to sort and groceries to get, and organizing for the week long camping trip that the boys will leave for on Monday. Isn't that always the way? You come home to a bigger mess than the one you tried to leave behind, LOL!

This picture is from the courtyard behind the exit of "The Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. One of our favorite places at Disney, it is always beautifully maintained and has tons of shade for a nice respite from the heat of the day.

And is it not bad enough that I have to drive Laurel everywhere at home, but we get onto the autopia ride and she makes me drive that car too! What is up with that?

Hope everyone has a wonderful day, and make sure to watch some of the Olympics, so inspiring!!!
B-

San Clemente sand and surf!

We spent the day with Dave's sister Sue and her daughter Kayla at the beach today, so beautiful!

Disneyland was very fun, hot and crowded, but fun! We rode all the rides we wanted to twice. The trick is figuring out how to use your fast pass allocations wisely! But after two times of Indiana, Space Mountain, and Splash, plus all the other rides, we were toast! I will share some pics later, editing must occur!

In the meantime, I wanted to share a project that was made using the Cornish Heritage Farms stamp of the month that was designed by Kim Hughes called "Kissable Tree" and birds from the Mocha Chica and Pretty Birds sets.


The tree is available now and the Mocha Chica stamp set will be available next week with Kim's paper!!! I am so very excited about it!!!

I really need to go get the sand out of some spots, so I am going to get going!
Back to home and reality late tomorrow...

Best!
B-

Blogging from the beach (not really)

But close...

We hopped a plane this morning and found ourselves in Long Beach California at Dave's parents house relaxing at the pool!

A bit of a surprise in the summer schedule, but we love to go with the flow, and this is where it took us!

I wanted to share another project I had done with the Saturday Evening Post "Santa's Lap" stamp, and the "Music Sheet" Scrapblock, so fun to color these!





Julia has a wonderful class tonight in the forums at Cornish Heritage Farms. she shares how to make some beautiful clear snowflake tags!

Well, I am going to go have some dinner with the kids, El Pollo Loco, YUM!!!

B-

Great Tennis Season brought to a Close...

It ended today, a much too short but very fun season! Our team lost 3 third set tie-breakers and just missed by that much going to sectionals. I didn't get to play today, kinda bummed, but I went and watched my teammates. I am so proud of them and how hard they worked and tried to get us to the next level. Thanks for a great season girls!

Had to share this fun card I made a little while ago, used a few different little things to put it togther, but the star of the show for me is that "Vintage Ledger" Scrapblock! It adds so much and is so subtle at the same time, not easy you know!
Loads of great stuff releasing this month, so excited! And wait til you see this month's scrapblock, SWOON!!!
Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!
B-