New Method Playground Challenge!

The challenge this week was given by Cindy Tobey!
She is so talented, sweet and I love her work. She always gives something clever to see and her designs are beautiful and thoughtful!

The challenge that she gave was to include some kind of fibers on your project. I love to crochet, so this was very fun for me! I made some very fuzzy, yarn flowers and a scallop for the edge as well. I also used a scrap of Amy Butler fabric on there, it would have been thrown in the trash from a project that Laurel is working on if I hadn't saved it! It was a little recycling on my part, and the fact that it was the colors that I had made the flowers of was such a cool coincidence that I think that it was meant to be!
The CHF Challenge Chicks have a great challenge this week, it is to repurpose or recycle something in a project. They are linked to the left in my blog list, you should check them out, there are some very clever ideas for give throw-aways new life, totally inspiring!
It is also a sneak peek of the newest Scrapblock™ called "Daisy Chain" it is what I matted the pictures on! It is stamped in lettuce green Adirondack ink on the smooth side of Prism cardsstock.
A very fun layout, with lots of different things going on!
I really need help with the voting at Scrapbooks Etc. So even though it is a bit of a pain, if you would PLEASE (pretty please with a cherry on top!) vote for my layout, I would really be very grateful!!!
It is the one called "finding laurel" if you aren't sure.
Hope everyone is ready to enjoy the holiday weekend and to all of my Canadian peeps, Happy Canada day tomorrow!
B-

Saturday eye candy

A quiet, beautiful Saturday here. Wimbledon on the tv, Carter is home from Boy Scout camp, and I feel kind of like I might have a grip on all the things I need to get done in the next few weeks before CHA. I got to crop at Kim's last night with Brenda and I am recuperating from all the fun we had.
Wanted to share a layout I had made before I went to the Farm. MellyPea the community director at Two Peas had sent me a happy box of KI paper, embellishments and ribbons for a Two Peas User Profile program that they do. It was a very fun group of products from the "La-di-dah" line, and I really enjoyed playing with them!

My Grandmother Hakes had the most incredible gardens, she was a natural at landscaping and had the most extraordinary green thumb. There are plants that she had in her yard that just take me back to that yard that held so many great memories of hide and seek, weed pulling and warm strawberries right from the garden. Peonies are one of those flowers that she had mounds of everywhere in the most luscious colors. When we moved to a climate that we could grow these in, they were one of the first plants I had to put in! This picture reminds me so much of those gardens my Grandma kept and how lucky I was to be raised right next door to her as a child and develop a love for the outdoors and for nature's beauty!
Seriously, I am such a lucky girl!
B-
P.S. the voting is still going at Scrapbooks Etc, will you do a girl a large and vote for me?
;o)

Ultimate Summer Challenge at BHG

Super excited here, I had another layout make it as a finalist in the Ultimate Summer Challenge at BHG! The challenge was doodling and interesting journaling. This was a very fun challenge for me, and I doodled the frame for the picture of Laurel while I watched some Wimbledon on Monday night. Very relaxing! But I really need help to win, so please go vote for me!!! Finding Laurel



I know that this is annoying for me to ask, but the layout that won last week had over 400 hundred people vote for it, so that is a lot of begging from me, but I am not above that, LOL!

Anyway, things are all good here, missing Carter while he is at Scout Camp, but the teens are very amusing. Wimbledon is very good this year, a big upset today with Marat Safin upsetting Novak Djokovic in three straight, crazy good watching and a women's match between Natalie Dechy and Ana Ivanavic that went over 3 and a half hours!
I got to play this morning as well, and it was a gorgeaous day to be outside!
So go vote and then tell your friends!!
*smooches*
B-

I didn't fall off the planet...

The little town of Chinook Montanna is 50 miles from the Canadian border, so although it is still very America, it is close to a whole lot of the great outdoors!
Kim and I had a very uneventful but truly enjoyable time in car driving there and back, just chatting it up and enjoying each other's company.
The farm part of Cornish Heritage Farms is truly spectacular, the animals are plentiful and the land is beautiful. Truly a little piece of heaven on earth.
We got loads of work stuff done and had loads of fun hanging out and getting to know each other better. Let me just tell you that the Pomeroy family takes their "Spoons" games very seriously and after some card games and fabulous meals, I feel like one of the family!
I got home very late on Sunday evening, and spent the day yesterday just trying to get my feet back under me from being gone. We have so many exciting things going on with product development, I can't wait to get these products. I want them in my hands right now! We have preparations going for CHA summer right now, and with less than a month to finish plans, I am getting very anxious! Not enough hours in the day, LOL!
Anyway, long enough novel for today!
Glad to be home, missed the family, but the adventure was grand!
B-

Why?

I have a huge favor to ask everyone!
I need you to go to Scrapbooks Etc. and vote for this layout in the Summer Layout Challenge that they have put on. When you click on the link it doesn;t go right to my layout, so if you don't mind being patient and looking for mine to vote for I would be so very grateful!

So why do I do I do this to my friends?
Because I love YOU!
Still having a wonderful time in Montana at the farm, I have tons of pictures, so when I get home I will do some editing and share! If you want to see some right away, Lisa has some on her blog and the blog that Liz keeps for CHF has a few pictures of the doings as well!
I have gotten to feed the lambs and Rosie the calf, and then have had a chance to mix and mingle with all the other farm family members as well, and it has been very exciting!
Tomorrow is the last full day here and then Sunday Kim and I will hit the road to get ourselves back home.
Montana is absolutely gorgeous, the weather has been perfect and the company delightful, I am a LUCKY girl!
B-

Puppies, Ponies, it is all good!

Just wanted to share a quick little layout of the kids and the "boy-zois" as they are now lovingly referred to!

I am off to Montanna, I hope I have time to catch up from the road, the laptop is going, but not sure if the time will be there.
Have a wonderful week!
B-

Method Playground Challenge #21

The challenge that Alicia has given is to use fabric on your layout.
I used fabric that had been cut into circles and then used my sewing machine to stitch it onto a cardstock background that has been stamped with the 7 Gyspies circle stamp. After I was done stitching, I snipped the shapes and frayed the fabric to give it more texture. Add some bling and sew a little letter into the journaling and it is all good!
I hope you can find some time to play with the challenge!
This morning bright and early Chloe left to go to girls camp with our church's young women. She was very excited, they have a week of fun and adventure planned for them!
Today is Laurel's 17th birthday, she is still in New York with the tour group. She had a minute between the Guggenheim and going to the top of "The Rock" that she could visit with me. She and Tyler are having a wonderful experience and a great time together as friends, not just siblings. She also told me that she is taking loads of pics, just for me, YAY! So Happy Birthday Laurel, we LOVE YOU!!!
Not much going on here, just trying to get myself organized so that I can get to Montana on Wednesday to have a business retreat with Cornish Heritge Farms owners Richard and Liz Pomeroy, Lisa Strahl and Kim Hughes. We have a lot of planning to do for CHA summer, amd it will be here before we know it!
So, just an average ol' summer Monday morning here, not much going on, LOL!
B-

WSW

What does WSW stand for you might ask...

Over a week of crazy stamping fun! There are more challenges, RAK's and fun than you can shake an acrylic block at! I myself am even hosting TWO challenges (as if I have time!) Well for this I will make time! The people are so inspiring and the challenges are well thought out and fun! Hope that you might be able to take a minute or two to find a challenge that gets your juices going! It is great to get all inked up and stamping on anything that holds still long enough!
B-

21...

Happy Anniversary Dave!
21 years of growing together everyday! Growing in patience, in strength, wisdom and AGE!
Love!
B-

CHF Sketch Challenge #4!!!

Happy Wednesday!
The week has been interesting to say the least, LOL!
Laurel and Tyler are being put on a plane this evening for a red eye to NYC for a week with a great group of kids from AMES! They will be doin all the things that I would love to do, a little jealous and really happy for them! Museums, ball game, tours and of course Central Park!

Today is also the sketch challenge for Cornish Heritage Farms, Hope you can find some time to play with it!
Julia designed the sketch, and it has tons of potential.

Here was what I did with it...
Kim came and stayed with my family on National Scrapbook Day, we spent a few hours chatting online with the CHF peeps, and then went and had a great day of shopping and hanging out! I am so lucky to have such an amazing friend! Thanks Kim!

The other CHF Chicks who are playing:

Kim

Alli

Julia

Lori

Loads of inspiration, go check it out!
B-

Quite the Monday!

Sometimes that is just how it goes...

The wheels are coming off and you didn't even know you had been rolling, LOL!

Ready for tomorrow.

So a little share and then do-vers for tomorrow...
B-

A post long over due!

It was a wonderful end of the week last week!
I want to share some work that the delightful Betsy Veldman (her link is there on the left, I advise you to visit often!) created with the Scrapblocks. She so talented, and so nice!!! Again, I feel so fortunate to be in this industry and to have the opportunity to meet and work with people who are so exceptional!

This is a little writing practice book that she made, there is a page for each letter in the alphabet, and has all different colors! Gorgeous and useful!

So the Scrapblocks release was so exciting, and thanks for letting me go on and on about it all! Lisa worked so hard and has so many great things in the pipeline for this line, I am so proud of her and love working with her to get them recognized!

In other news...
Tyler had his graduation ceremonies on Thursday afternoon! We were fortunate to have family join us for the event and to have a wonderful afternoon and evening celebrating his accomplishment! Tyler, I am so proud of you and wish you the very best in your life! You are a great kid with great ideas and a wonderful head on your shoulders! LOVE YOU!

I did run away for a little while on Friday morning to go to the Fancy Pants warehouse sale. Kim and I had fun looking through the stuff, and I was so excited to find that they had their darling pins priced where I could afford them! I will share a pic later of what I had to do with them, Kim taught me well! They are so cute and just one of those things that I look at that makes me happy!
I have also took time this weekend to slow down and enjoy my darling little family. Played some Backgammon games with Tyler and Carter some longer walks with dogs and Dave and a little tennis on the tv. It has been damp and cool, so we haven't really transitioned to feeling like it is actaully summer yet. Tomorrow, we will get right on that.
B-

Scrapblock release is today!

I just have to share this DARLING card that the wonderful Davinie Fiero created with the "VintageLedger" scrapblock!
She is sweet as pie and UBER talented, the perfect combination! Thanks Dav!!!
And just to enable even more, the Scrapblocks have double customer appreciation points on them today! Check it out!
Hope you all are having a wonderful day and hope you have time to get messy!
B-

Challenging Monday...

This week is the last of the kids school year, so I am trying to combine a few of my projects to get more bang from my creative time! I always love summer, but it does change the way I have time to work and play, I do have to make adjustments and accomodations to make sure that we all stay sane around here.
So today is the Method Playground challenge #20, and the challenge is to stamp a background instead of using a patterned paper. Kim Hughes is the guest designer for this challenge, and she has some fantastic raks to share!

The other challenge that I was excited to participate in was with the CHF Challenge Chicks! The challenge this week was a color combination:

Tawny Light, Classic Red and Iced Teal. These are Prism colors, but the project doesn't have to be with Prism products, any way you interpret and any product you want to use goes!When you are done, share your project with us in this thread!
I love this color combo, so refreshing!
The other gals that are playing are:
-Lori
-Julie
-Dawn
-Kim
-Michele
-Kristine
-Lisa
These girls always have some serious inspiration cooked up, so check them out!

Hope you have a terrific Monday and if you didn't have anything to do, maybe now you do...
;)

B-

Are you feeling the Srapblock LOVE yet?

I so am!
ScrapScene gave us a little write-up, thanks Angie!!!

The Method Playground's newest challenge on Monday will be featuring these BIG pieces of glorious rubber and also have the amazing Kim Hughes as the guest designer! Gotta come play to be considered for the rak!

Also, the FABULOUS Lisa Strahl has the coolest YouTude demo on how to start using your Scrapblocks





And here is a little pic of a project that Lisa made with the Perfect Plaid stamp:



How adorable is that box?

Anyway, I am going to go use those big bad boys for some more fun projects!
B-

More Scrapblock goodness to share!

So I needed to make a few Graduation invites for the family to come celebrate with us...
How perfect is that writing paper scrapblock for this project? I embossed it in red on smooth white Prism and trimmed to fit the card front after embossing in white with the small dot backgrounder (his school colors of course!). Of course Kim's owls were perfect for this! Had to make quite a few of these, and get them off in the mail, no small task with how hectic life is for us right now.
So how incredibly cool are these BIG pieces of red rubber?
They are so fun and make me so happy!
B-

Scrappity Scrapblock Goodness

Okay, so sorry way behind schedule today. It was just one of those mornings that gets you running behind on all day, kwim? This sketch was a stretch for me...
not so good at the big circle projects, more of a big square kinda girl (there is a joke in there somewhere I think)

But I love how this layout turned out. I used the plaid Scrapblock the raspberry prism and embossed it in a creamy white, then used the small dot Scrapblock on the bckground piece of My Mind's Eye. Making Memories ledger paper and Webster's Pages for the patterned circles with the vintage ledger Scrapblock used on the green My Mind's Eye for the journaling bit. A little sewing, some Prima flowers and brads and it is good to go!
I also want to wish Miss Mary Kay a happy birthday! She is a wonderful friend and an exceptional person!

More Scrapblock goodness to come, and don't forget they release on Tuesday June 3rd!
B-

Scrapblock Love!

You know how a couple of posts ago I had exciting news that I couldn't wait to share, but was giving a hint at? (It wasn't glittery ink, but that was a fun guess Karen!)
It was all about the Scrapblocks!!
Perfectly sized, fantastic quality and gorgeous patterns, that is what I am talking about!! I have been making projects like a crazy lady with these, they are so addicting!
I have nicknamed this project my HeartFelt bookmark! The kids think that it is so cute, they all want one to help them keep their place in their summer reading!
So here is how you do it:
Stamp your felt with the 6 x 6 houndstooth Scrapblock with Staz-on Ink. Fold in half with the stamp side to the inside and draw (or trace) two hearts, one larger and one a little smaller.
Cut out with pinking shears and stitch 2/3 of the way closed. Stuff and finish stitching it closed. Cut 12" piece of ribbon and find two buttons that you like and stitch the ribbon and button on at one time. DONE!

I love little projects like this, they remind my peeps that I love them and they let me feel like I got something done, LOL!
So summer reading...
Got any suggestions?
We are huge Harry Potter Fans, and with that option now gone, we need ideas!
A few of us have gotten into the Twilight series, but that doesn't cover all of the bases. The Potter series came at a very magic time in our family's development when their imaginations were all very large and ready for grand adventures. We could share these books between everyone and talk about them for hours on end. I might not be able to recapture that...
sigh.
Anyway, there will be many trips to the library and bookstore in our future, so I will be making more bookmarks with love!
B-

CHF Challenge Chicks go altered

Here is the before, a hanging hook that I had found at Jo-Ann's for 50% off!And Here it is after, I used the houndstooth SCRAPBLOCK (what is the Scrapblock you ask? more to come on that!) and used embossing powder to give it texture. Used the Kim Hughes "Landing Pad" set and my embossing pens to draw the doodled frames and the words. This is a fun way to remind my kids to hang up a backpack or jacket!
Sooooooo onto the Scrapblocks...
What is 6 inches by 6 inches of the highest quality made in the U.S.A. red rubber?
The amazing Lisa Strahl had a dream that there is more fantastic to be had in a surface area than what the backgrounders could provide, so she set about working to figure it out. And the fruits of her labors? Scrapblocks!
The official release date is June 3rd, so watch the galleries and blogs of the CHF design team for amazing ideas of how to play with these incredible stamps, they will blow your mind!
So the challenge chicks that are playing with today's altered challenge:
Lisa Silver
Lori
Julie
Sherrie
Julia
Kim
Dawn
Lesley
Kristine
Michele
Lisa Strahl
Kim

Links to the left!!!

Very fun!
B-

Little blog siesta, sorry!

A bit of a hectic week, and loads of cool stuff going on with us!
Tyler of course is thrilled about having just a couple of weeks to finish all of his big presenatations for his program were this week. He looks like a huge laod has been lifted off of his shoulders and he isn't as grumpy as he has been. Good stuff!
Laurel just has a few more large tests and papers and she will be ready for the summer break!
Chloe is almost done, a few bigger projects some tests and she will be singing halleluyah!
And Carter is in skate mode, he probably has stuff he is supposed to be doing, but when asked he tells us it is all good...
Lots of exciting things happening for us at Cornish Heritage Farms, I can't wait to share what the next product release is, it is seriously killing me to keep it to myself!!!!
The card I am sharing has a little bit of a hint on it, notice anything?
What are your plans for the long weekend? I am going to be in the scrap room amking a mess! Sounds fun right?!!!
B-

Method Playground #19

Yesterday the new Method Playground challenge went up!
I love this picture of Nikolay, he looks so happy and comfortable! The paper the picture is matted on is from Core'dinations and the patterned paper is from Fancy Pants and has been embossed on using the small dot backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms and Ranger distress embossing powder in gold. The challenge is to use tearing on your layout. So of course Core'dinations came to mind, the cardstock has great colors and when you tear it the inside is a different color than the outside, so fun! Core'dinations is sponsoring the RAK for this challenge, so be sure to play if you have time!!!
B-

CHF Challenge Chicks

The challenge this week is to use transparent material to make a project!
I had a hard time getting a picture of this, so if I can get a better one soon I am going to change this one out.
The card is made from the clear sheets from CHF, the patterned paper is from Making Memories, the pink mini pompons are from Jo-ann's and the FAB stamp is from the latest Rummage Bin release!
There is a challenge thread at CHF for those who want to play!
The other girls that are playing:

-Julia
-Dawn
-Lisa
-Kristine
-Sherrie
-Alli
-Kim
-Lori
-Michele
-Becky
-Val
-Mona
-Julie
-Lesley

They are all linked on the left of my blog, so please go check them out!
Have fun playing along and happy Monday!
B-

Big happy family!

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago when the weather was a little cooler, but it is the perfect representation of what today was.
The kids and dogs have been hanging out doing a whole lot of nothing and just enjoying the slow pace. Novak returned home earlier in the morning yesterday from his overnight stay at the Vet's for his little adjustment. He was so happy to see us and even happier to get home! He and Nikolay really missed each other, and even though Niko had loads of extra play time with everyone, it just isn't quite the same as having his brother literally nipping on his heels, LOL!
We have watched the Pirates of the Caribbean shows and Dave and Carter made huge YUMMY pretzels (you should try them with cranberry horseradish sauce, mmmmmmmmmm)
Tomorrow is a CHF Challege Chick Monday and it is a cool one, I decided I had to find time to play!
I had a GREAT time with Kim yesterday! We spent a few of our hours together with Emilie Ahern at her last local crop before she moves across the country to Delaware (where?) and had a really fun visit, I even got a few things done ;)
I feel so blessed to have Kim as a friend, she is FUN, SMART, GENEROUS and UBER TALENTED, she keeps me in my place!
So that is about that!
A really wonderful weekend!
B-

Thomas Kinkade

Today was the release of the latest Thomas Kinkade image called "Hometown Pride" It is so beautiful, and is perfect for this time of year as we are celebrating and remembering the patriots who fought for our freedoms.
The design team at CHF has really done an inspiring presentation of the stamp and shown how versatile and interesting it can be!
On a different note, my little Novak went in for his "boy bit" procedure and Nikolay is missing him greatly (well, we all are!) He weighed in at 60 pounds today at 7 months old. He looks so skinny, but apparently there is a little more to him than I had thought possible!
We had a very exciting and busy week at CHF preparing for all of our stuff we are involved in. It is hectic now, I can hardly wait to see what it will be like when we get to really rolling!
Wheeeeeeeee!
I got some happy mail today that I am looking forward to playing with this weekend! I get to go to Kim's house tomorrow for the day and we have a crop to go to and loads to catch up on, going to be great! I am ready and so need it!
The kids are so ready for school to let out for the summer, only 2.5 weeks to go, YIKES!
Me, not so much...
LOL!
B-

Sketch Challenge

Julia created a wonderful sketch for today's challenge!

Here is my take on the sketch!
Use the sketch and post your links at Cornish Heritage Farms gallery!
Follow the links to see what the other girls that are playing did!
Julia
Kristine
Lesley
Alli
Kim
Have fun creating!
B-