{scrappergirl}

Would you like to win some incredible Graphic 45 paper?

If the answer is YES!....then go here and leave a comment for me. My article and review is up at The Scrap Review on this wonderful company with gorgeous paper lines!!! Go check it win some free Graphic 45 paper! Good luck!

 

The Zutter Zisters first month of projects are online!!

Please come visit us at Zutter Zister'sBind-it-all design site to see our latest projects created by the team! Click on the "visit their galleries" for a view of everyone's work. Look for new projects coming your way every month! This is such a talented group of ladies and I am so excited to be a part of it all! If you don't have a Bind-it-all you need one. Visit here to see how it works. If you have a BIA there are some great online classes coming up if you are looking for direction on how to use it or for some great inspiration! Nan Paturzo and Jennifer Priest will be your teachers! Don't forget to join our Ning group!!

 
1: BIA clear acrylic album: heat embossed, alcohol inked pages, leaves threaded on owires on spine

2: Grocery list/coupon holder using pocket protectors from Office Depot.

3: Halloween luminary

Girlfriends, flea markets, and fun!

It was so nice to get away with my best girlfriends this weekend. We had not been able to get together to get away since our trip in April to Key West! We stayed in the St. Charles/Geneva Illinois area and loved every minute of it. The highlight for us was the Kane County Flea Market that is held every month. Uh yeah....we did some damage there! Well some of us more than others! :) Here is a photo of two of my friends and their purchases......and yes, that is a CART!!!! I can't wait to go back in the Spring when we can bring a trailer with us!

They got some good deals so more power to them! Here are a few shots from the weekend and I am so grateful to have such fun-loving, supportive, loving friends! Thank you girls! You mean the world to me!

 
 

Halloween Luminary using my Zutter Bind-it-all!

I just wanted to share this fun little Halloween luminary I made for the Zutter Design Team Team! I used some Halloween themed stained glass looking paper from a  Dover coloring book and placed them on clear acrylic sheets. I cover the edges with Basic Grey Halloween paper and then bound the pages to make a standing luminary. I threaded ribbon through the holes to bind the book and used some BIA o-wires for the handle! I also placed a plastic bottom on this latern so that it could be hung or can sit on a table. Inside are two battery operated flicker candles making this a very safe but fun luminary! (If you can't find the Dover books I am thinking a person could print an image onto vellum and make their own stained glass looking page that could then be mounted onto plastic)

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!!!!
 

Fun times at Maya Road and some canvas album inspiration!

Come join us on Friday, November 13, from 4-Midnight for an online crop, chat, and challenges! Go here for all the information! While you are there sign up to be a part of the Maya Road family by joining our Facebook group! It's a great way to connect with other scrappers who love Maya Road! Here is a little album featured in Maya Road's most recent newsletter featuring their awesome canvas binder album!

This little album is so adorable and the removable canvas cover makes it a breeze to add your own personal touches to it. I heat transferred the photos right on to the canvas and then just did some hand stitching around it and the edges of the album cover and pockets! Can't wait to talk and crop with you all on the 13th!!!

A quick Halloween album made with clear treat bags.....

 
Here is a quick and easy album using Halloween treat bags. I found these at Michael's for around a $1!

First, gather your bags and cut off the end so both ends are open. Fold bag in half and punch in your Bind-it-all.

I then bound the book using the silver bag ties that came with the bags. Just add some cardstock pages to the inside of the "sleeves" and embellish!

Quick and easy and ready for those scary Halloween photos!!!

  

Sister's Garden.....

A couple times a year I head down to my favorite antique store called Sister's Garden. It is always filled with such yumminess I just had to share. My Mom was here so we ventured down together and here are a few shots. If you live in the area you really must visit! She had a whole wall with these reels on it! LOVED IT!

  
 

Blog hopping and some great Bind-it-all giveaways.....

Bind-it-alls very FIRST Design Team is celebrating here! Come join the blog hop and have a chance to win some great BIA prizes! It is going to be hard to live up to this group's incredible talent! Please join us in celebrating their talent!!

Annette West, Lea Sanders, Julie Kelley, Jennifer Priest, Jeja Svensson, Emeline Seet, Tish Treadaway, Vicki Flinchum, and me, Scrappy Nan.

Wow....where did the time go!

Wow what a week it was! I have bee a bad blogger! I am deep into creating projects for my new Bind-it-all team appointment, Maya Road CHA-W projects, taking Senior pictures, and just your everyday living kind of stuff! It did snow here on Sunday, the Iowa Hawkeyes won, and my tree in the backyard is just stunning! I love how the color is only on half of the tree! I do love this time of year....I just wish it was a bit warmer for a little longer! Thanks for all the wonderful comments about my BIA DT appointment. I am so excited to get started and am so grateful to represent a company and product that I am so passionate about! Happy Fall!
 

I am a Zutter Zister!!!! (doing the happy dance..........)

I am so excited that I am now a Zutter Zister! The 2009-2010 Design Team was announced and I made it! I am so honored to join this team and can't wait to start creating, sharing, and making new friends. My love runs deep for my BIA and it's wonderful to be with others that have such a passion as well. The original Zutter Zisters  are a super talented group of ladies and I look forward to working with them too! Thanks so much Nan and everyone at Zutter!!  

Sweet Tooth Scrapbooking Retreat!!!!

If you live near or around Iowa City, Iowa, you don't want to miss the Fall Crop that Sweet Tooth is hosting. Go here for all the specifics!!

Honest Scrap Award....passing it on!

   

My friend Katie Watson from Maya Road and Katie Bee Creative sent me this award and I thought I would play along! Thanks Katie for choosing me.

Here is how it works....

*Say thank you and give a link to the presenter of the award

*Share “10 Honest Things” about myself

*Present the award to 9 other bloggers whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design or to those who have encouraged me

*Be sure to tell the 9 bloggers chosen that you are giving them the Honest Scrap award and provide the guidelines for them

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10 Honest Things-

1. I wanted to be in Fashion Merchandising when I was in High School but when my counselor made me "choose" a profession I chose Nursing. I don't regret it as it has allowed me to work the wonderful hours I do and also work in different areas of the health field.

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2. My greatest accomplishment in life are my children. I truly believe that my purpose in life was to be their mom. I believe that I was given a child with special needs for a reason. He has changed my life and those of my other children.

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3. I can't live a day without sitting down and making something. When I don't, I feel "off"!

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4. I LOVE movies! I know a lot of movie trivia and I love all kinds of movies.

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5. I know I am suppose to...but I don't like chocolate or massages! I have never really had that chocolate love that all my friends have and I only like head massages and absolutely NO touching of my feet!

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6. I am afraid of getting old alone and yet I have been a single mom for 14 years now so I really can't imagine being with someone either. It's a very strange feeling being stuck between those two emotions.

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7. I love to travel and I hope I do it until the day I die! I have so many places on my bucket list that I want to visit. I hope I get to! I so love seeing new places and enjoying other people's worlds.

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8. I hate it when my kids are gone every other weekend and holidays. It has never gotten easier over the years and I still cry after they leave. The "downtime" is nice for about a day and then I am done! Please don't ever envy a single parent and their "free" time...it's not that great!

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9. I love how photography makes me feel. I wish you could bottle that feeling up and shower in it when you needed a little pick me up. It just makes me so happy!

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10. I love "junk" tv! I can't believe I am admitting this. I watch "Daisy of Love", "Rock of Love", "America's Next Top Model" etc. I also love artsy shows like "Project Runway" "Design Star" and "Top Chef". But my favorite are the comedies like "The Office", "30 Rock", "Parks and Recreation", and "The Soup". Thank God for TiVo!!!

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Okay, so now I pick 9 bloggers to send this to! These ladies are women I really admire and love their work. They have also been very supportive to me and I wanted to pass that on!

Lisa Pace- Lisa Pace

Robyn Meierotto- Robyn Meierotto

Lia Abdullah- Lia Abdullah

Megan Klauer- Megan Klauer

Chris Hertel- Chris Hertel

Angela Plogeman-Angela Ploegman

Elizabeth Smith- Elizabeth Smith

Emilie Ahern-Emilie Ahern

Ashley Harris- Ashley Harris

Published album....

I was so excited to see this little album in the Autumn edition of Somerset Memories! I just used a couple of 5x7 canvas boards, grungeboard, and some clear plastic sheeting, along with some vintage buttons, sheet music, and some of my favorite photos! This project featured heat transferred images onto the canvas board. I was pretty happy with the results! Here are a couple more shots.

My "Flair" post is up at TSR!

Come see my post on American Crafts "Flair" on The Scrap Review. I have a couple of fun projects featured there today! Stop by and check them out! By the way....Happy Monday! :)

Homecoming and a birthday party....

I was so bummed that I couldn't get the day off on Friday to join my Reminisce friends at Scrapfest in Minnesota! I have yet to be able to go to one of these! I am planning WAY ahead next year. But this weekend was full of fun. My youngest had Homecoming and they won their football game by 1 point. He also got all dressed up, picked up his date, and drove them both to the Homecoming dance. I also attended a birthday party this weekend as the photographer for my best friend's grandson's 1st birthday. I had so much fun and it just reminded me how fast time goes by. It seems that not too long ago my youngest was one and now he's 16 driving to Homecoming dances! Here are a few shots from the party!

  And my handsome 16 year old son!

Photo mat album....my Bind-it-all strikes again!

I LOVE my Bind-it-all because it allows me to make albums out of really cool things. This little album I made using three 5x7 photo mats. Two of them I used for the cover. I used a rub-on on clear plastic and adhered it to the back of mat #1. Mat #2 I mounted a piece of patterned paper (pop dotted) to the back of this mat. And then glued these two mats together.The result is a dimensional cover with a cool effect.

The 3rd mat I used for the back cover of the album. The rest of the pages are made of patterned paper, clear plastic, and photos. I used my September Studio Calico kit for this project. Aren't those butterflies just to die for!

Diet Coke goes high tech....and I am digging it! :)

When I saw this video I just knew I had to share it! I so love my DC and am so excited to see the future in soda!! I love everything techno and DC so the union of these two has me quite happy!! Imagine.....100 versions of Coke products at your fingertips!!! I have goosebumps!

Football season is here!!

I love this time of year! Football is in full swing and I love being outside watching my son play! Go Regals!

Heat embossing on fabric....a tutorial!

I thought I would share with you a little tutorial on how to heat emboss on fabric. The result is very cool and you can make your designs using stamps that you already have. if you already know how to heat emboss on paper.... then this is cake!

Supplies: You will need a piece of fabric that you are going to use to wrap around your album cover. I used extra pieces of chipboard for my covers and some heavy duck cloth fabric. Versamark-watermark ink, stamps, embossing powder (I used American Crafts Zing powder), and a heat gun.

First cut your fabric to the size of your project (with some allowance on the edges for folding around your cover). To create a "flat" surface on my stamping glass I used clothes pins to hold my fabric taut! Ink your stamp with Versamark and stamp image onto fabric, apply embossing powder, and heat! (I found that by stamping one image at a time and embossing it right away this helped in a more accurate placement of the image. Since the Versamark is clear it works best to stamp and emboss each image separately especially when stamping multiple images!)

   

Here are a couple of projects using this technique using both light and dark fabric!  And also single and multiple stamped images!

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I hope you will give this technique a try!!

Sheer card mini album...

Head on over to the Maya Road Design Team site for a tutorial on how to make a cute litte mini album using sheer journal cards!! I just love their green leave pins and used them as "trees" on this project!!

Finally....some Studio Calico time!!

I have been so busy that I have neglected my last two months of goodies from Studio Calico! The shame!!!!! Anywoo, here are a couple of layouts from "Over the Rainbow" and "Documentary" kits. I am so glad I decided to join this wonderful kit club. The products are just divine!! Except for my printer totally dying on me (the nerve!) the kids and I have had a very enjoyable and relaxing weekend. It was just beautiful here in the Midwest. I wish it would stay like this everyday!! Have a great week!

Special Olympics golf....Jordan goes for the gold!!!

Here he is showing me his gold medal! Way to go buddy!! You did a great job today!!

Zing powder review is up at TSR!

Visit The Scrap Review to see my article on the Zing embossing powders from American Crafts. Here are a few projects I did for that article. They include heat embossing on fabric, glass, chipboard, and acrylic!

Heat embossing on fabric...........................................

Heat embossing on glass..........................................

And heat embossing on acrylic..............................

I {heart} my Bind-it-all!

I have a son with Autism who craves facts and data. So when I found these $1 box of cards at Target listing all the US Presidents and facts and also one on the US states and their facts I knew what to do! I bound them with my Bind-it-all. Now they will all stay together and more importantly...stay in order!! He is also a big collector of postcards from all the places we visit on our vacations. Problem solved there too! I just bound them in order of where we visited and they stay together and he can flip through them and enjoy! There is nothing groundbreaking in these projects but the BIA makes is to easy and simple to keep things together that I thought I would share! This would be a great way to keep flashcards, photos, directions, recipes, etc. together!!

Write.Click.Scrapbook! I am spreading the word......

You simply MUST check out this website. It is so full of creative tips and tricks not to mention inspiration!! It is now on my daily blog stalking circuit! I hope you will add it to yours!! :)

 

Happy 46th Anniversary!

Just wanted to wish my folks a Happy Annivesary today!!!! Love you!!

Maya Mists and fabric....

This is a little fabric album I did for CHA using some cotton (off white) fabric and some Maya Mist. First, I used some Maya Road chipboard letters as masks on the cover of my album and sprayed. All my photos and the words in the album were created in PSE and then printed on inkjet transfer paper and the heat transferred onto the same white fabric and then added to the album. Maya Mist comes in some really cool colors and I love the effect it gives you!

 

Another CHA album....

This little album from Maya Road is a new mini album (classic scroll frame). I covered the entire chipboard album with old sewing patterns using Modge Podge. Lots of MR goodness inside. I even sewed some covers for my binder rings. Metal bobbins were also used on the binder rings to go along with the sewing theme. Fabric was also used to wrap around the MR chipboard flower. Thanks for stopping by!

A CHA album to share....

I am so excited to share this album with you. This was a very technique "heavy" project but I am so happy with how it turned out. I used Maya Road's 5-ring tabbed acrylic album acrylic album. Techniques include fabric strips adhered to acrylic using heat-n-bond, "stitching" on acrylic with fabric strips and DMC floss, adhesive backed photos printed on transparencies and applied on acrylic. The buttons are also stitched onto the acrylic using my handy dandy drill to make the holes! I wanted to keep the transparent feel of the acrylic album so I chose to use transparent photos. I also used some photo transfers onto fabric for some of the other pages! I have never made it to CHA yet but hope to one of these years! I am just excited that my projects got to go!!! If you are going....have a great time and stop by the Maya Road booth to see the DT's incredible projects!

Stitching on acrylic tutorial is up at Maya Road!

Today my tutorial on stitching on acrylic is up here! Be sure to stop by Maya Road and see all the new releases for CHA in the new full catalog!! You can see that here! So much goodness coming your way!! I do so love Maya Road!! :)

Here is a sneak peek of one of my CHA projects using the stitching on acrylic technique! Have a great weekend everyone!

A Scrapbook Trends toot!!

I am so excited to see my Maya Road "Harley album" was featured on page 78 in the newest release of Scrapbook Trends Mini Albums magazine!! My good friend Katie Watson has two incredible albums in this issue as well! What a good way to end a crazy week!!

It is so good to be home....

We had a wonderful time on vacation but it is always good to be home. If I could, however, I would keep on going!!! Here are just a few of my favorite shots. In all I took 1,354 photos, visited 15 states, and drove 4436 miles. Whew!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

day 11 on our vacation...

So much has happened since our visit in Massachusetts and neighboring states! We spent 3 days in Philadelphia and enjoyed visiting Independence Hall, Betsy Ross' house, Ben Franklin's grave, and of course the Liberty Bell! Gettysburg was an incredible park to visit and I highly recommend it to any one visiting Pennsylvania! We have seen the birthplace of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord and yesterday visited the end of the war at Yorktown. It has been so wonderful having my dad (a retired history teacher), my mom ( also a retired teacher), and my son ( a history buff), along to keep me so informed on the sites we see the and people involved! I wish I had been more interested in this when I was a kid! Good thing the History Channel has a movie for all of the places and battle sites we have visited. That should keep me busy for awhile! Washington DC was incredible but my feet hurt A LOT that day!!! The National Gallery of Art is still in my top ten places to visit! Today we walked the streets of historic Williamsburg and also visited Jamestown (the first permanent settlement here in the US). So much history and such a gorgeous place to visit. Virginia is now one of the most beautiful states I have seen! Tomorrow is our visit to the end of the Civil War, Appomattox, Virgina, and then on to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson! Our journey home is on it's last leg. We still have quite a few places we plan on seeing before reaching home! I so look forward to going through my photos and and enjoying our vacation over and over again!

Reporting from the road....

The first 5 days have been a realwhirlwind!! We have seen Niagara Falls, the North bridge at Lexington and Concord, toured the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston (LOVE that city!), and enjoyed our visit to Valley Forge! Today we also visited 6 states in one day (MA, RI, CT, NJ, NY, PA)! Tomorrow we are off to Philadelphia to see the sites, Friday we are heading to Gettysburg and Lancaster, PA to see Amish country!! We will be enjoying the 4th in our nation's capital Washington D.C and seeing the sites there! So much to see and do and really appreciating all that our forefathers did to make it possible for us to live as we do in this amazing country of ours!!

The North bridge at Concord.

 

Niagara Falls

I am exhausted and now it's time to go on vacation.....

I have been a bad blogger these days. I am just trying to finish all my Maya Road projects, pack for myself and my boys, try and get the house in order before I leave, and work! Whew, I am exhausted before we even leave! It doesn't help that it is 105 degrees here (with the heat index) and pit dripping humid!! I am very excited to go on this vacation with my boys and my folks. My youngest is such an American history buff and I know he is just going to love visiting Boston, Philadelphia, and D.C. just to name a few places. I am so excited to show him these places he has only read about! I had better finish up those two loads of laundry and get some supper rolling for the kids! I haven't decided whether to take my laptop or not so if not....see you in two weeks!!

Super Summer Sale at Maya Road!!

Maya Road has been busy getting things ready for CHA-S in Orlando AND getting these sale kits ready for their big warehouse sale. Each order is worth over $126.00 but is on sale now through July 10, for only $48.95....and that INCLUDES shipping! What a deal!! Go here and here to check out all the specifics of this incredible sale of incredible Maya Road products!!! Happy shopping!!

Heat embossing tutorial is up on The Scrap Review!

Please stop by The Scrap Review and see my tutorial on embossing. Whether you are new to heat embossing or and "old pro" I think you will enjoy some fun projects I have posted such as embossing a whole chipboard book, heat embossing acrylic, and adding embossing to your layouts!

 

 

 

I have to share this with you......

Awkward Family Photos is the name of this site and it has had me in stitches for days!! Here are just a few! I can't stop laughing....only because I can think of 100's of photos of myself and my family from the early 70's and 80's that would certainly qualify to be featured on this site!!!! :)

 

 

 

My Maya Road tutorial is up!!

 

Come visit Maya Road DT blog to view my tutorial!! Enjoy your weekend!! :)

Birthdays, family time, and projects....

This last weekend was so wonderful! The kids and I spent time with my folks and my brother and his family. It was my dad's 70th birthday bash so we met up in Des Moines, which is half way for the Omaha families and the Iowa City family! I just wanted to wish my dad another Happy 70th Birthday and to say that it was so great for us all to be together to celebrate June 6, D-Day, Don Day!!! (that's my dad!)

 

 

Working and running kids to activities is all I seem to get done these days. I am busy trying to get all my projects done so I can ship them off for CHA before we leave on vaction in a couple of weeks. Lots to do and not enough hours in the day!! (sigh) I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer! I can't wait for VACATION!!!!

Super Saturday at The Scrap Review!!!

Today is Super Saturday at The Scrap Review!! It has been a wonderful raffle week at TSR and incredible prizes have been awarded. But today is SUPER SATURDAY and look what is up for grabs! WOWZA!! I wish I could enter!!! To get yourself entered to win these prizes go here! Good luck to everyone!!

A wonderful weekend and a little Kelly Rae Roberts......

I had a wonderful time with my girlfriends this weekend as they whisked me off to Galena, Illinois, for my birthday get-away! We had so much fun and enjoyed the beautiful weather, the great food and fabulous shopping. I had one purchase and it was this....

 

I SO love the prints by Kelly Rae Roberts and this one just spoke to me! Thanks to my parents for the birthday money to acquire this little beauty! I hope to grab a few more as time goes by. Her work is so gorgeous and you MUST visit her site and check out the photos of her home! INCREDIBLE!!

Today is my birthday!!!

 Yep, today is my birthday! I am half of 90 so you do the math!! Thanks to all of you who have sent me birthday wishes! I am really touched. The best part of my birthday is the surprise that my children have in store for me in one hour (I have no idea what is going to happen) and my best-est girlfriends have told me to pack an overnight bag for tomorrow and that I would be picked up at 4:15. I am so excited and yet so going crazy not knowing what will happen. As a single mom of three kids I am always in control and know exactly what is going on at ALL times. The suspense and loss of control is KILLING me!! However, I am dealing with it fairly well and enjoying every minute! Have a great weekend everyone and thanks again for the well wishes!! :)

Grab a blinkie and win some prizes!

Head on over the The Scrap Review (here) and grab a blinkie! If it is spotted on your blog you can win some incredible door prizes. Emilie and Ashley have come up with a Raffle project that will get YOU some awesome scrapbooking supplies and will help support the running of The Scrap Review. The site runs without the use of paid advertising so the girls have come up with a raffle idea to help curb the costs of running the site and also allow you the readers to benefit too! Please stop by and pick up your blinkie...you never know who might stop by!! :)

Self Portraits.....

I don't like being in photos....I love taking them just not being in them. However, I have been taking some interesting self portraits I thought I would share with you.

 

 

 

 

1. A garden globe   2. Sunglasses on a rack in NYC  3.Astronaut suit at Cape Canavral  4. The wheel of a '57 Chevy in Florida

My mother's Day flowers...

 

I forgot to post these little beauties. I did a little photoshop action on my Mother's Day flowers and added the awesome overlay by Ali Edwards from Designer Digitals! I love that site!! This photo makes me happy!

Studio Calico Love!!

I was fortunate enough to receive this month's Studio Calico kit from The Scrap Review  to review. Let me just say....I am in love! I have stalked that blog, looked at the gallery, and oohed and ahhed at all the scrappy goodness. I loved everything in that kit! I have seen my scrapping friend's awesome projects and heard them rave about this kit club! Now I  know why!! I am planning on joining for next month!! Go check out the reviewshere!  Noel's projects on the first review of Studio Calico totally rocked! Have a great, sunny weekend!!

 

Layout made with Studio Calico May Kit Playground. I also used the paperbag that the supplies were in to make the flower on the page. Sizzix cut the paper, Versamarked it, clear embossing enamel to finish it!

 

Studio Calico kit papers. I threaded fabric through the pre-punched holes in the paper!

Maya Road fabric album....

 

My tutorial is up at Maya Road DT site for this fabric album! Come check it out!

A special request...

A friend asked me to make an album for her friend using the dress she wore at her child's wedding. What a wonderful idea it was and what a touching memento this will be for her friend! I hope to do more projects like this. I love doing albums with a real story behind it and this is the certainly one of those! I hope she enjoys the album! The only thing not from the dress was the Maya Road album and the buttons!

 

 

You need to hear this guy!!

I think Adam Lambert from American Idol has some competition!! :)