Be Yourself

If there are any two people in the world that are always just who they are, it's my husband and his twin brother.  This morning, my brother in-law was admitted to the ICU for bleeding on his brain.  

My husband, of course, is there, but while I've been waiting to hear news I busied myself by making this layout of the two of them.  

I've used only a 2-1/2" strip of For Always chevron paper, otherwise this layout is black and white daisy cardstock.  I re-inked my black ink pad to get the richest color possible from my dye ink.  I've used several stamp sets - All the Details, Sightseer, Washi Wonder, Family Love, and Wheel of Life.  That big spinner works perfectly on this page.  I used my Artbooking cartridge to make the Polaroid frame and "be yourself."  The gathered ribbon is ruby chevron with some black twine, and I finished it all off with some discontinued brads from my stash.  My inspiration for this layout came from Sketch #105 at Sketch Savvy.

Scrapbooking is therapeutic.  Paper and stamps are the first place I go when I am praying about something.  I am very certain that there are a lot of you who can relate.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I really appreciate that you take the time to visit me!

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New Challenge at Sketch N Scrap

 There is a new challenge at Sketch N Scrap, and we'd love for you to play along!

This is a perfectly lovely sketch, but I will be the first to admit that I had a very hard time with this one.  It forced me to step outside my box and create in a way that I am not used to.  For that very reason, I was thrilled to work on it and stretch my creative muscles.  I decided to grab some pictures that I really love and make a page that just makes me happy!

These two men in my life make me happy.

Very. Happy.

Rather than telling you what products I used or how I made this layout, I want tell you something else.

These photos were taken in 1994, and Shane was just 5 years old.  Jerry was taking him fishing with his Mickey Mouse fishing pole.

Grasp every single moment you can with your children.  

They grow up.  Way. Too. Fast.

I know that's not a popular thing to say right now as I have seen all kinds of articles from young mothers that are tired of hearing it.  I heard that when I was a young mother, too, but it didn't bother me.  I always kind of looked at that at "Titus 2" encouragement and learning from the mothers that went before me.

So let them be little and enjoy every single moment of their running and playing (and fishing).  You never know where your children's lives will carry them, and it's very important that you never take your time with them for granted.  They are such little blessings from God.

Thanks for stopping in today..and remember to make every day your best day!

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My Musky Hunter

There is nothing I love more than sitting down to make a layout for no good reason other than putting memories to paper.  Jerry went fishing last Saturday, and I loved this photo of him with his big catch.

I keep an album of Jerry's fishing adventures in the family room (otherwise known as the man cave).  He loves summer when he can head out for the day to fish.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that my dear husband finds a lot of peace in the summer sun and on that boat. I love when I head down and see that he's been looking at the book.   He really liked this addition, and that makes it all worth it!

I used the left page of one of the layouts in the Make It From Your Heart book - Volume 2.  Have you had a chance to look though these books?  They are just awesome and hold not only sketches, but so many ideas!  At $7.95, they are a steal!  I used a photo mat and a mini album page ("summer") from Artbooking.  "Too much fun" is actually one stamp from an Artbooking stamp, but once I stamped it, I thought it would be fun to cut the image in half to create a phrase.  This is Tommy paper (don't you think it's perfect for fishing?), and I've combined it with outdoor denim chevron ribbon, a little piece of burlap, Tommy Canvas, and the Tiny Type Epoxy alphabet.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Hooked

I've been scrapping away today celebrating National Scrapbooking Day!  I'll be sharing quite a bit in the next few days, but today I want to show this layout I made for Scrapbook Generation's Challenge #3 (use a one-page sketch from SG).  I am going to start out by saying that if you have a queasy stomach, don't look further!!

Oh, did this ever freak me out!  Jerry went fishing and came home soon after hooking himself in the finger with a titanium hook.  Here's the journaling:

Ok, now I am going to make another layout so that this gruesome finger is not the first thing that you see when you visit!  But I am a story teller, so this has to go in the book, too!

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Tommy

I am leaving to go on a 4-day scrapbooking retreat, and I am so excited!  Bags are packed, and tomorrow I'll leave in the morning.  It's going to be so much fun!  But I wanted to make sure that I shared a new layout with you before I left.

This is Tommy (sorry about the glare on the left page).  Because we spend so much time exploring the state and all it's beautiful lakes, this paper is perfect for my scrapbooking.  All of the stamping you see is from the Tommy WOTG and Sail Away stamp sets. The banner stamp is great!  This is just a super fun set of pages.  I love looking at my husband's smiling face!

Thanks for stopping by!  I am going to have a lot to show you after this weekend!!




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Spring

One thing I consistently hear when I am teaching is that people are afraid to put flowers on their husband's or son's pages.  I don't have a hard time with this at all.  My husband, of course, loves the rustic outdoor pages I create for his book, but he also loved the colors on this page.  This is Chantilly, and it's matching dimensional elements.  Are you surprised?  .I sure am!  On first glance, I think when we see this paper packet we see the pinks, yellows, and greens.  But I created this layout to bring out the warm blues of twilight.  I used the Artiste cartridge to cut the title "spring."  The little treasure on these two pages is the use of the large rose from the March Stamp of the Month.  I tucked them behind the clusters.

So there are flowers, spring colors, and pink glitter gems.  I hope I've inspired you to step out of the "normal" colors and try something new with your pages!

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Peaceful

If you look on page 36 of the Spring Summer Idea Book (I'll give you a second...you have time to grab your book...), you are going to find a page that looks very much like this one.  I loved that 2-page layout and the color mix so much that I had to create it for myself.

I took this picture on the last day of our cruise.  We had a lazy day in St. Thomas and then headed back to the ship deck to enjoy the sea.  Jerry stood looking out for so long, and I just knew that he was completely and utterly at peace.  I so enjoyed sharing this cruise with my best friend!

This paper is For Always, and at first glance it looks like it should be for weddings.  But CTMH was smart in adding honey and lagoon to the paper packet to give us a brand new way to look at it.  The stickease that match this paper packet are just wonderful, and I paired them with some retired honey mini medleys.  You could actually mix this paper with any color that matches your pictures.  It's just so pretty!

Thanks for stopping in, and I hope you have a Monday filled with paper and ink!

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Life Documented

I am at my retreat now, and I am anxious for the sun to come out tomorrow so that I can take pictures of the surroundings and show you!  I have wireless here, so I'll be posting as always.  In fact, I think you may even see more from me than normal!
The first thing I want to show you is kind of fun.  Jerry received his 20-year watch from his employer this past March.  I wanted to showcase the letter he received with it, but I didn't want to use a whole page.  So I used this nifty product from Close To My Heart called a Flip Flap Memory Protector.  I'll show you a couple of pictures so that you can see how it works.

Isn't that fun?  You just pull the adhesive strip and attach it to the memory protector.  I wish I had had these when I did my Italy book.  They would have been perfect!  These little flip flaps come 8 protectors to a pack: (4) 6"x12", (2) 4"x12", and (2) 8"x12'.  They are a very inexpensive little addition to a book at $3.95.  Now I used Cherie's sketch from Sassy Lil Sketches for this layout.

I left out the blocks because the paper already had so much design.

Items used:  Simple Stories Life Documented; CTMH Bamboo Waxy Flax; CTMH Basic Buttons; i-Rock gems

Jerry

Sometimes I sit back and wonder what I ever did to deserve my husband.  He is one of the most patient and caring people I know.  He treats everyone with such kindness - and good humor! - that it is no wonder he is so well-liked.  As long as I was thinking about him, I thought I may as well make a layout.

I used all CTMH for this layout - Lucky Level 2 & My Stickease, Enjoy Life stamp set, Olive cardstock, Sunset Mini-Medleys, and Outdoor Denim Mini-Medleys

This afternoon we went to Jerry's grandmother's 91st birthday.  We had such a pleasant time, and it is so good to see her doing so well at 91!

Jerry's Work Anniversary

I am so darn proud of my husband!  Yesterday was his 20th anniversary at Abra Auto Body as a paint technician.  The "big guys" came to celebrate him with a cake, and they gave him a really nice watch.

It is rare these days to hear of someone being at a job for 20 years.  With the economy and lay-offs, it is not always possible to do that. I am so thankful that God blessed Jerry with this job!

Happy 20th Anniversary, honey!!



I'll be bakc later with some more artwork.  I've been working on design team projects, but I think I'll squeeze something in that you can see today!

Fishing

There is nothing particularly special that I've done with this layout. However, it speaks volumes about who my husband is. I love looking at the fish he's caught. And do you see the blue water and leaves on the trees? What lovely pages to work on!!

For this page, I used dp from Papers Best. It's a company only about 45 minutes from here, and they make outdoor papers. I simply matted the pictures and put a fishing transparency over the page. The two embellishments are on top of the transparency.

Jerry

I found these pictures of Jerry from 2007. I love to take pictures of faces and time spent every day. This layout sketch is from Scrapbook Challenges - such a great community forum! I am so sorry that I am not able to post the sketch as blogger is giving me a difficult time. However, my layout is pretty true to the sketch, so you may be able to work from this picture. Everything on the layout is distressed with chocolate ink to give it a masculine feel.

Items used: CTMH Serendipity Heart of Winter paper (oooh, I wish that I could get my hands on more of this!), CTMH Outdoor Denim Brads, Slide Design Cards - Just Chillin' & Noteworthy

My Crafting Husband

Earlier this evening, I had a guest in my craft room - my husband! He is getting the urge to fish about now (in the warm weather), so this is about the time of year he starts making lures for the summer. He set up a table across from mine, brought up his supplies, and we crafted together. I streamed in a couple of netflix movies, and we had great fun!

These are some of the lures he's made over the years. They are made of mylar, horse hair, and chicken feathers. Very cool - and it is truly a craft! I asked him how many of these he's used, and he said all of them!

Some time I'll share pictures of his musky lures. He hand carved them from wood and then designed and painted them. Jerry is an auto body painter by trade, so he really has a gift for this sort of thing.

Tomorrow we are going to have brunch at the restaraunt where Shane works. I talk to him several times a week, but it's been a month now since we've seen him. Can't wait! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!

Well, Here I Am!

Lest you think I fell off the face of the earth (!), I thought I'd better post finally this week. It has been a full - and very enjoyable - week!

I made a couple of things in the last week that I thought I would share with you. This first picture is a little 3x3 notecard box. Isn't it cute?! Such an easy pattern, and I needed a couple little gifties for people. So I thought this little box filled with little gift enclosure cards was perfect. Now for those of you with a keen eye, I actually colored a little bit on an image. I added some color to my Little Diva card with CTMH markers.

Did I ever tell you how much I love CTMH's Level 1 kits? I LOVE those pre-printed layouts just for weeks like this. When I don't have much time, I can still put together a beautiful 2-page layout. This family (even the furry kids) truly are my greatest blessings!

I will have some days off coming up, so I am looking forward to crafting more and sharing more in the week to come!

I choose.

This is a very quick post this morning as I am headed off to work this morning. I am teaching a Glimmer Mist class at Archiver's this weekend, and I am just loving it!!

I created this layout for my personal scrapbook using the Felicity papers and stamp from CTMH. My intention was to have the lettering very subtle on the side, so I used desert sand cs to relay my message. I put some glossy accents over the words to give them just a little pop. I cut my letters and swirls from my Slice card, Think Pink.

I just never get tired of remembering that I was the blessed one to be able to choose Jerry. What a wonderful husband!

Thanksgiving Layout

You've seen these pictures already that I posted from Thanksgiving Day. Today I put them to paper (click on the layout to make it larger). I fell in love with this paper when I saw it - Little Yellow Bicycle diecut and lace paper. Gorgeous!

Along with it, I used: CTMH Colonial White, Vineyard Berry, Olive, and New England Ivy CS, Bazzill flowers, CTMH Chocolate and Colonial White Ribbon, and random buttons. The die-cut leaves, frame, and sentiments were cut using Slice cards.

Wander

I was looking over some pictures I took of Jerry when we were up by Mille Lacs Lake. Truly sometimes a picture speaks a thousand words!

For this layout I used:

• CTMH Colonial White Cardstock as base
• Bo Bunny Flutter Butter paper & diecuts
• Making Memories Transparencies
• Bazzill Paper Flowers
• CTMH Organic & Fancy Pants All Fall Buttons
• CTMH Bamboo Waxy Flax
• Slice Cartridge "Think Pink" for letters

Jerry's Fall Party Invite

Hey, look at this fun invitation! Cuttlebug challenged bloggers to make an invitation based on a certain theme. Well, certainly I could have made a regular invitation! But Jerry is having a beer making party this fall. We have hops upon hops on our backyard vine, and he wants to put them to good use this year. He loves to taste unique beers, and he has really enjoyed making beer in the past. So he figured he'd make a party of it this year, and I'll cook up some chili in the lodge pot! I wanted to make a unique invitation that would make the guys at work look twice. So I took an empty beer bottle and altered it. (Be sure to click on it if you want to see it larger!) Here's what I used:

• CTMH Rustic Trails paper (It's so sad that this is discontinued. It's
• SO manly, and I loved the colors!)
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folders - Spots & Dots, Swiss Dots
• Cuttlebug 2x2 Scalloped Square Cutting Dies
• CTMH Olive and Bamboo Ink
• Pewter Spiral Clip
• Karen Foster Pewter Charm
• Olive Grosgrain
• Empty Beer Bottle and Hops

What a fun challenge! Be sure to check out Cuttlebug Challenge Blog Spot. It's their Birthday Palooza, and they have such fun things going on!!

Scrapping and Fishing...All in One Day!

What a fun day we had scrapping!! I thought a would share a few pictures with you. In the front row on the left - my niece Jessica and my sister Linda. In the back from the left - my niece Kristina, me, and my mother-in-law Sharon. So the hall pass was used, and the clapper worked great! I loved hearing that because then I got to see everyone's work and their creativity! Jessica and Kristina tied for the most pages done at the end of the day winning a card kit!

We played a couple of games during the day. I think the first one was much to everyone's dismay! I had everyone take out 2 sheets of matching paper that they liked and I gave them a 5x7 card base. Then they had to pass their paper to left and it was up to the person on the left to create a card for them in 8 minutes! It was a fun, fun game, and I liked seeing everyone work on a card quickly. Sometimes we might need a card in a hurry, and that's what I was trying to teach. I loved what everyone did! Kristina made my card from the Animal Cookies paper I passed her - and it is great! The best part was that everyone won (just the Ellen show!) and went home with a bag of cards and paper!

In the afternoon, I had everyone take out their ugliest piece of paper. You know we get packs or pads, and there is inevitably that one piece we don't like. We had to add one element and then pass it to the left. By the time it got back to the owner, it would have 5 elements and it would be BEAUTIFUL. I have to say, Linda's was the most difficult to work with. Brown peacock feathers - yuck! Am I right, girls? However, even Linda's was beautiful by the time it got back to her! Never underestimate any piece of paper!!

I have had request for the recipes I've used, so I'll put those in another post!

Now I have to bring you to the fishing portion of the day. Jerry spent the day fishing on Lake Superior on a charter. Oh, did he bring back some amazing pictures!! He is getting to be quite the photographer!!

I love the first picture because he purposefully caught the reflection of the cargo ship in the beautiful Lake Superior water.

Here's a morning picture on the lake. In the distance, there is quite heavy fog.

This is the catch of lake trout at the end of the day. Six of them fished, so this is a great haul. As I type, Jerry's portion is on the smoker. Do you like smoked fish? I love it paired with aged cheese. Hmmm. it will be yummy!

So it was a wonderful day for all! Our guests left by 6:30 last evening, and Jerry and I were sleeping by 7:30! Is that a sign of age? Please tell me it's not!! Really we both only gotten 3 hours of sleep the night before getting up at 3:00 am, so the rest felt good! But again I say, it was a wonderful, wonderful day!! I can't wait to scrap again with my family, and Jerry and his buddies are anxious for their next charter fishing trip!!

19 Years...The Love of My Life

Today is mine and Jerry's 19th anniversary. Oh, he is the love of my life! We met on a blind date, and three weeks later, he asked me to marry him. People said it wouldn't last, but here we are 19 years later!
There are so many reasons I love this man more and more every day. People don't believe me when I tell them that Jerry and I don't argue. But it is true. He is so easy-going, and he has taught this Finlander to be much more easy-going over the years! He helps me to see that whatever may happen, it is not the end of the world. Jerry has stood by me through every illness, surgery, or difficult physical time I've gone through. Truly, many people may have walked away. But those wedding vows - "in sickness and in health" really meant something to him. Jerry is a strong father. Adopting Shane when he was barely 3, he has loved him and taught Shane so many things. What an amazing quality in a husband! He has truly shared life with me in these 19 years, and I love him more and more every day for that. Jerry is my best friend, my soulmate, and the love of my life. Happy anniversary, honey!