{scrappergirl}

Photo ornament featured on TLC's Parentables website!!

I was contacted about a week ago to give permission to have my photo ornament featured at TLC's Parentables website!! Of course I said YES!!!! It was posted today so I thought I would share!  Here's the LINK!

 

New business adventure....

Coming soon I will be showing and releasing more photos of a new business adventure I am starting. I LOVE flair buttons and have decided to make my own to sell. My first line will be pretty simple but will go great with those projects like "Project Life" "One Little Word" and any kind of journal or scrapbook page or mini!! For now here is a sneak peek!!

Maya Road swap with Simple Stories....

Come join us over at Maya Road as we swap goodies with Simple Stories! You will be so inspired by all the work our incredible Design Team has done. What a great combination of products for this swap!!! I love seeing all the fun Christmas projects! Please stop by and check them out!

 

Dina Wakley.com

One of the best things about going down to Texas to teach at Artistic Journey was meeting new people. I am a little shy at first and kind of quiet but once I "know" you....BFF!! One of the many people I finally got to meet was Dina Wakley. And if you don't know it already I am hear to tell you she is ONE fun person to be around! I enjoyed getting to know her and found that we have many similar interests! I just love her! Anyway, Dina has most recently started her own website DinaWakley.com! What an amazing site and it will house all of her online classes for you to partake in. You can peruse her art and be inspired all in one site! I love her style and I love her spirit!!! I am so very happy for Dina and her new website so go stop by and look around!

New Christmas Digital goodness by Robyn.....

My friend Robyn has some new incredible digital goodies up at Design House Digital! The collection is so cool and I love the colors she chose. On top of just papers and elements Robyn has created printable pieces for those who might be doing the December Daily with Ali Edwards! Even if you aren't, these pieces would make a great addition to any journal, mini, or layout for that matter, that you might be working on! Go check it out!

  

Lisa Pace has some new stamps and they are gorgeous!

These are just a couple of the gorgeous new stamps by Lisa Pace via The Pink Persimmon. Aren't they gorgeous!!!? I had won a blog giveaway at the Pink Persimmon and just received my stamps a couple of days ago and I couldn't wait to play with them! I am so excited for Lisa and her new adventure!! Here is what I created!

A pretty vintage necklace using an antique bezel with glass insert, burlap and beautiful Maya Road velvel ribbon!

And an altered canvas project I am making for some friends for Christmas gifts! I collect vintage and second-hand items (door plate, drawer pull) and they worked out great for this project. Lisa's stamps were the perfect accents for it! Don't forget to join her FB page "Antiquated Collection by Lisa Pace"!

New review up at The Scrap Review!

I had the pleasure of reviewing the "Handmade" kit from Studio Calico over at The Scrap Review! Here is a look at what I created with some of that amazing kit!

Happy 71st birthday Mama!

Wishing my Mom a very Happy Birthday today! It was so nice to get to celebrate with the family this weekend!! We love you and hope you have a great day!

I {LOVE} Easy Canvas Prints.....

I have said it before and I will say it again....I am in LOVE with Easy Canvas Prints! I just received my 36x24 prints and had them hung 5 minutes later! Aren't they gorgeous!!! Now I can see 4 of my favorite places on earth in my living room on a grand scale!!! I can't say enough great things about this company! I took advantage of their recent buy 2 get 2 free promotion and I am so glad I did! What a deal! They always seem to have some great deals going on and most times the delivery is free too!!! If you have family photos or vacation photos you think would look great in your home you really need to check them out. I love the look of photos on canvas and the quality of their products are incredible! Here are the ones I ordered and put in my living room!

Maya Road and Lily Bee Designs Blog Swap!!!

I had so much fun creating for this blog swap!!! Of course my love for Maya Road is immeasurable and to team up with LBD was pure heaven!! I loved their products and color scheme!!! Head on over to MR   and Lily Bee Designs blogs to be entered to win some fabulous goodies!

My project is a little mini album using two pieces of chipboard pages and creating an accordian spine which I then added LBD papers and some photos!! I love how it turned out and it will be a great gift to give to the family that I photographed!!!!

It's a blog hop (with free digital goodies) over at Design House Digitals!

Here are all the digital goodies that can be yours by "hopping" on the Design House Digital blog hop!!! Here is Robyn's free kit to get you started!! Don't forget to also check out all the happenings at DHD this week and a load of other prizes up for grabs!!!

 

Halloween Blog Hop Day 3!

Wow it's day 3 already! Only one more to go! This is a really easy project to do. I took two frames I got at Michaels for a $1 each. I covered one with burlap and added some alphabet stickers and the other I cut out this cute girl from Robyn Meierotto's Michevious collection!

Halloween Blog Hop Day 2!

Here is my second Halloween project! This is a luminary I made using some Halloween Stain glass coloring pages (Little Dover activity book) and my Bind-it-all!

To create a save light I used a battery operated candle! I love how it glows!!!!

 

Be sure to check out what they other girls have created!

Rebekah

Mindy

Halloween Blog Hop Day 1!

I was asked by Rebekah to participate in her annual Halloween blog hop! Here is my first project! This project was made with small plastic/paper drinking cups, "Mischievous" paper line by Robyn Meierotto for My Mind's Eye and a string of white lights.

I traced a piece of paper around the cup to get the arc shape and made this my template. Then just cut as many pieces as you have cups. Pierce a hole in the top of the cup and push the light through. Now you have a cute lighted Halloween garland! Be sure to check out what the other girls are creating by "hopping" on over to their blogs!!!

Rebekah

Mindy

 

 

 

"Sweet Autumn" digital kit is up at Design House Digitals!

I don't know how Robyn does it but she comes up with the coolest kits ever! This week's "Sweet Autumn" is no exception! Here is a peek! Don't forget to stop by DHD and see all of her collections! She is amazing! I am so excited for her as she continues to create her awesome collections for My Mind's Eye!!! Woo hoo girl!

Here are my layouts using this kit!

A new and fun technique with Maya Glitter and Ranger's Rock Candy paint!

This is a technique that I taught at Creative Journey in Texas earlier in the month. It was a BIG hit so I thought I would share it on my blog. This technique will give your layout or project a little bit of glam using two products. First you will need some Maya Road Glitter (I used Regal Gold for my example) and some Distress Crackle Paint by Ranger in Clear Rock Candy.

First pour out about a quarter sized amount of the Rock Candy paint.

Next, add your glitter!

And then mix!

The concoction you now have will go on clear and leaves a great shine to anything you paint it on. Since I love fabric I tend to paint it on those items more frequently. I have also painted on canvas, paper, zipper trim, ribbon, you name it.....you can paint it with this stuff....even photos! The bonus part of using this paint on fabric is that it stiffens things so you can "mold" your cut out pieces for more dimension!

The next time your project of layout needs a little added sparkle feel free to try this technique. You will be hooked!!!!!

 

Look at these fabulous Dina Wakley stamps!!!

My friend Dina Wakley has some incredible stamps available at Stampington.com that you really must check out! I bought these two.

                        

 

Look at how Dina used them!!! I am SO in love with them. So many possibilities!!!

Make Your Own Washi Tapewith Maya Mist by Maya Road!!!

I LOVE washi tape and so I came up with a cheap way of making your own. With this technique you can make your tape whatever color you want and give it whatever print you want by using stamps you have in your stash! You will need 1 inch masking tape, Maya Mist by Maya Road, a cotton ball, and a stamp of your choice, and ink (I chose Staz-On)! I used my Ranger Craft Mat for this project.

First layout of a strip of masking tape:

Next put a dab of Maya Mist on a cotton ball and "color" your tape:

When it is dry your tape is ready to adhere to your layout of project. For a little added "umpf" use a stamp from your stash on the tape! I used a wood-grain stamp for this example.

How cute would this be to frame a photo, make a pocket from two pieces of paper, or to trim!? The beauty is that you can color your washi tape the color that best matches your photo, layout, or project! I like the 1 inch tape as it allows me to wrap around things!

 

Robyn Meierotto's new lines for My Mind's Eye!

A BIG congratulations to my friend Robyn Meierotto who just had two new lines produced for My Mind's Eye! This is just a sample of what she has created! Take a look at this eye candy goodness!

KRAFT FUN DAY  in EVERY DAY and BRIGHT DAY!

How gorgeous are these lines?!! There are also stamps, brands, twine, stickers, garland, and borders just to name a few!!!! I am so happy for Robyn! She is an incredible designer and I know her work is going to find it's way into a lot of scrapbooker's and crafter's  hands!!!! Congrats girl!!! Don't forget to stop by Design House Digitals to grab her digital work too!!

I am back from Artistic Journey!

I had SUCH a great time this weekend in Waxahachie, Texas, for the 2nd annual Artistic Journey weekend sponsored by Maya Road and The Crafty Scrapper! We played with Maya Mist, canvas, fabric, glitter,and stamps in my class! It was so great to meet new people and my fellow teachers Dina Wakley and Lisa Pace! A big thank you to Caroline Lau and Carolyn Ross for hosting this amazing crafty weekend! Here is a little peek at the album we made! Thanks to all our students and all the girls at The Crafty Scrapper for making it such a successful event!!!

Maya Road is on Pinterest!

Come stop by Maya Road's Pinterest Board!!

i {heart} rad lab!!!

If you are a photog and looking for a great way to enhance your photos and do it in a fast and efficient way I have two words for you RAD LAB! These are NOT actions but more like recipes! Once you open your photo Rad Lab takes over and makes your photos amazing! You can create your own special "recipe" and save it for future uses. The work flow is seamless and SO easy! It has cut my editing and processing time down significantly! I love that these recipes are totally "tweak able" and make your photos become what you want them to! Did  I mention how fast it works!!! I am truly glad I made the purchase and SO very happy with the results that Rad Lab has produced! Go check them out! Here are a few photos where I used Rad Lab!

Something beautiful...............

This is truly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! I can't stop crying....................

 

Easy pin cushion project....

Here is a quick little project I made after seeing this video and tutorial at CREATE! It literally took me 10 minutes to make this and it is SO adorable! I have so many Maya Road pins that I just love and it's fun to see them and showcase them on my scrap table in this 5x7 frame. I used a frame that I got for $4 and some upholstery fabric I had laying around. Add some stuffing and your fabric glue and that's it! I love the smaller one they have in the newest issue of Simple Handmade's "Sewing" but I wanted to create a larger one for all my pins. I also have a project featured in that issue for this pillow project so that was fun to see too!

Here's the video on how to make the frame pin cushion!

 

Easy Canvas Prints.....

I was approached by Easy Canvas Prints to review their canvas prints recently. Here is a look at the 24x36 inch canvas wrap print I received from them using a photo I took this Summer at Rialto Beach, Washington.

First off the quality is superb! I ordered my print with the .75 inch image wrap. They also offer a 1.5 inch wrap and a couple of different styles. I LOVE my 24x36 print but they offer a wide range of sizes and options.The delivery time was prompt and my print was well protected. What's more is that their prices are so reasonable! I have always wanted to convert some of my photos into  canvas print form and I can honestly say I am loving the look of it. This is the first of many canvas prints I will be ordering from Easy Canvas Prints! I love it that my little photo looks like a piece of art! Go check them out!

Would you like to win some Hambly goodies?

I reviewed Hambly's newest releases on The Scrap Review! Come stop by and leave a comment for a chance to win some Hambly goodness!

Some new digital goodness from Pink Trike Design!

Robyn's got some great new papers at Design House Digital! In fact, there's a lot of really cute items there that you should check out! Here was my take on the papers.

I am so looking forward to this holiday weekend and an extra day to spend with my family. My parents are coming to town so we can celebrate my daughter's 22nd (gasp!) birthday and the Iowa Hawkeyes have their first home game! Go Hawks! I hope everyone has a safe and fun weekend!

Where has Summer gone?

I can't believe Summer is gone and the kids are back in school! Jenna is starting her Senior year at Iowa and will begin interviewing for Dental Schools this Fall. Jordan is in a two year post-high school program to help him transition from academics to the workforce as well as working on independent living skills. Kirk is a Senior at Regina High School and has applied to Iowa for the Fall 2012-2013 year. I have been getting ready for my class for Maya Road and The Crafty Scrapper in Texas at the end of this month. We are anxiously awaiting the Iowa football season and it's nice to finally get into a schedule of sorts.It was a great Summer....but I will miss you!!

Zutter Zummer continues.....

Check out the Zutter Zisters Zummer time BLOG to see some great summer projects! It starts today! Go check it out!

Here are a few of the deals you will find!

Chipboard Covers & Inner pages - 50% off
Acrylic, Clipboard, Canvas - 50% off
Spinner Album, Display-it-All - 50% off
Baby Blue and Baby Pink Owire (1/2 " and 3/4") - 35% off
Original Cover-All continue at 50% off
http://www.binditall.com/ShoppingSpecials.html
When these items are sold out, they will be GONE forever.

Artistic Journey 2011!

Artistic Journey 2011 is just a few months away!!! There are just a few spots left so click HERE for all the info you will need to come join us on this incredible journey!!!

CHA album....

I wanted to share one of my favorite CHA Summer 2011 albums that I made for Maya Road using their new Large Square Coaster chipboard album. I covered it with burlap and added all kinds of Maya Road goodness to it. This is a little album about my daughter's first garden that was actually planted by my parents for her as she was in the middle of finals week! I also added a few items that I had purchased at a flea market (the vintage seed packets and the handle from a water spigot) earlier in the Spring.

Maya Road's full catalog reveal....

You REALLY must stop by the Maya Road company blog and check out the full catalog reveal!! It is truly amazing! If you are heading to CHA have a great time and stop by the MR booth and say hello to the great Maya Road team!!! And don't forget to check out all the new goodies on display!!!!

It's Zummer time!!!

It's Zummer Time! Join the Zutter Zisters Design Team for some summer themed project ideas, shopping specials and a dose of hot weather inspiration. The fun starts on the Bind-it-All blog on Monday, July 11, and runs daily through Friday, July 15. There will be daily drawings for Zutter giveaways, and tips for staying cool. It's Zummer Time, and the crafting is EASY!

Maya Road Sneak Peeks Have Begun!!!!

Head on over to the Maya Road Company Blog to see the first of the incredible sneak peeks that await you! CHA is just around the corner and Maya Road wants to share what is coming your way!!!! You are going to love it all!!!

 

Christmas in July....

Head on over to the Maya Road Design Team blog and see my "Christmas in July" project!!! And don't forget to stop by the Maya Road blog to see all the newest goodies coming from Maya Road and also all the incredible projects by my fellow DT members! CHA is just around the corner and Maya Road has some incredible new products coming out just for you!!!!

Getting back in the groove....

It's taking me awhile to get back into the groove of things. Vacation was truly magical and full of so many sights that I will never forget. I really enjoyed all my tide pool exploring, seeing Seattle and Pike's Place market, staying in our mountain house, the beach, riding with the Mustang top down and drinking in the sun and the smell of the ocean and forests. Beachcombing was big on my to-do list and I got a lot of that in on this trip! Here are a few of my favorite photos thus far. We drove over 2,600 miles and I took over 2,800 photos! All in all a perfect trip (except for that deer we hit 50 miles from home at 3:30am) :(  It's good to be home and be with my kids again. Give me a few weeks and I will be ready for another adventure!!!!

Summer vacation 2011...

I am on the last few days of my Summer vacation with my best friend Pat. We arrived in Seattle and have covered the Washington and Oregon coastline and a bit of the California coast as well. We have seen the Olympic National Park, the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Victoria (Vancouver Island BC), La Push, beaches (1st beach, Rialto, Ruby, Cannon, today the Bandon), forests, Forks Washington (home of the Twilight series), tide pooling, lighthouses, Mo's, small port towns, sea lions, murres, and miles and miles of gorgeous vistas! I have so enjoyed taking the "off roads" and exploring this amazing coast. We enjoyed our beautiful hotel in downtown Seattle and our little KOA cabins. We are heading into the Redwoods today and still have so many exciting things to see in the 5 days we have left. We will end our trip with a 2 day stay in a house just outside Mt. Rainier. I feel so blessed to be able to travel and see this beautiful world we live in. I have enjoyed every minute of this time but look forward to being home again and seeing my kids. (Pat had just returned from a 2 week trip to Nashville with her husband so I KNOW she is excited to get home and see her family too!) My daughter and I are already making plans to come back here to she can see this wondrous place and explore the tidepools for hours on end!!

What a weekend!

Our weekend here was focused on my son Jordan's high school graduation. I have nothing but praise for the Iowa City School system and the incredible education they have given my son. Jordan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3 1/2 years old. Immediately he was placed in a preschool setting with other children diagnosed with Autism. Over the next 16 years he and I have met some incredible people who have helped mold Jordan into the person he is today. There are so many things these people have taught us. They have been my friends and the strongest advocates for Jordan. I couldn't have made it without all of them. It has NOT been an easy journey but it has been quite the adventure and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. It has helped shape me into the person I am today. Besides the wonderful teachers and aides, we have been blessed with an incredible family. Jordan is so fortunate to have so many people who love him and support him. I couldn't have done it without them. There were times when I wasn't sure I could make it all happen but with the love and support of my family we did! I am so proud of this boy. We look forward to this new chapter in our lives and the many possibilities it holds. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to help us celebrate and those who sent their congratulations. It means the world to us!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dear 16 year old me....

As a survior of malignant melanoma I thought I would share this video posted on Ali Edward's (also a MM survivor) blog about malignant melanoma awareness.

New Pink Trike Design products are available!

New digital goodness from Pink Trike Designs are available at Design House Digitals today! I love everything that Robyn does and these items are SO cool!!!! I really love the bardcode elements! Today only all new releases are 30% off!! What a deal!! Here were my takes on these incredible designs!

 
 

Where has the time gone?

I don't know where the time has gone but I need more of it! With my son's graduation party just around the corner and my two week vacation shortly after that I have been busy preparing and planning. Because I am gone a big chunk in June I am also trying to get my CHA-S projects done early too. Anyway, I wanted to invite you to stop by the Creative Therapy blog for this month's catalyst. There is some truly stunning work there! Also, Maya Road and Little Yellow Bicycle have teamed up so you really must stop by the Maya Road  blog and see what our team did for the product swap!! Have a great rest of the week!!

 
 
 

A Flea market, chalk walk, and a great Mother's Day!

This was a FULL weekend. My parents came from Omaha and we headed to the What Cheer Flea Market on Saturday. I got some great $1 items! Here are a few shots from that. I REALLY loved that card catalog piece!!!

 
 
 
 
 
On Sunday we headed to Mr. Vernon, Iowa and attended the annual "Chalk the Walk" event! We even got a visit into my favorite antique store there "Polly Ann's"!

 
 
 
 
 
Since we were in the area I took my parents to see the barn with "American Gothic" painted on it! I just love that barn!!!

 
 
The evening was spent with my kids making homemade pizza and celebrating Mother's Day!! What a fantastic weekend it was!! Thanks to my family for making this Mother's Day one I will always remember!

 

New Robyn Meierotto kits available...

I don't know how she does it but Robyn keeps rocking with cool kits at Design House Digitals!! Her new "Here's Your Sign" and "Kraft Brights vol.1" are no execption!! I love both of these kits SO much. They are so versatile and I love that! Head over to DHD to get her new kits....you will not be sorry! Here is a look at what I did with her new digi goodness!

 
 

Are you ready for a blog hop with over 100 FREE digi items...

 
Here are all the free goodies you will accumulate if you join our Design House Digital blog hop!!! Wow is all I can say....and it's FREE!! You need to start HERE! Follow the blog hop to the end and then you will be directed back to the DHD website!!! Here is what I did with Robyn Meierotto's contribution to the free blog hop kit!

 

Please vote for Jordan!!

Best Buddies is hosting a Best Buddies Talent Show and I have submitted Jordan's video of him singing to the contest. Best Buddies is a great program started by the Shriver family that pairs students with a disability with a peer who does not have a disability. I can't begin to tell you how incredible this program is and how much it has changed lives. All you have to do is go to this link  hit the "like" button to vote for Jordan!! Jordan and I thank you for your vote!!! :) You can go to this link too to vote also!

 

National Scrapbooking Day.....May 1!!

 
 

Maya Road and Glue Arts!!!

Maya Road and Glue Arts are joining together for a blog swap!! Come check it out HERE and HERE! Today is day One and there is more each day so keep checking to see what incredible projects the Maya Road and Glue Arts DT has been up to!

 

Artistic Journey 2011....

I am so excited to share that I will be teaching a class at this year's Artistic Journey sponsored by Maya Road and the Crafty Scrapper! You can find out all the information and how to get signed up HERE! Lisa Pace and Dina Wakely will also be there teaching so you know it will be a fabulous time! I am looking forward to this trip to Texas and to meet new people and to finally meet my Maya Road family in person!!! What a great experience this will be and I am so looking forward to coming in October to this incredible event!

 

Jordan sings the National Anthem at the Iowa Cubs opening game!!!!

 

I am SO proud of Jordan!! He did such a great job! We enjoyed our day in Des Moines participating in the Best Buddies walk and the party that followed! Thank you to all the wonderful students and teachers from Iowa City High School who made this day happen! We had a great turnout for City High and the group won an award for donations raised! Thanks to Caitlin for being such a great Best Buddies President and to all the students, teachers , and families that showed up to make this event a great success! We are so blessed to live in a place that welcomes and celebrates people with disabilities! What a great experience for all of us!

 

 

This kid....

This kid will be singing the National Anthem at the Iowa Cubs baseball game in Des Moines this Sunday for Best Buddies Day. Jordan will be walking in a fundraiser walk prior to the game and then will be singing at 1:05 to start the ball game. I am so proud and so excited for him. He has been practicing and practicing. Video and photos to follow. After his solo we are headed back to Iowa City so he can get his tuxedo on and sing in the Cathedral concert at St. Mary's at 4pm. Whew....what a day!! Special Olympics track and field on Saturday and a Best Buddies party on Friday and that will be our weekend! I can't believe his High School days are coming to an end. But man.....what a way to go out!!!! So very proud of you Jordman!!!