Merry Christmas a la Sketchy Thursdays

Supplies Digital Kit: Jingle Jangle Mini Kit by Polka Dot Pixels; Font: Brush Script Std

Sketchy Thursdays is taking 2 weeks off from the blog for the holidays.  However we aren't going to leave those of you with some actual time to create (lucky you!) in a lurch. 

For the next two weeks we are running a special Facebook only sketch and prize on our Sketchy Thursdays Facebook Page.  Check out the FB page for details.

I used our special Facebook only sketch to make my photo card to include in my Christmas cards this year.  Like the layout?  Check out the Facebook page for the sketch.  You can only see it there!

We'd love for you to come play along with us on Facebook!

I hope everyone has a happy, calm, loving, quiet Christmas! 

XO,

Heidi

Holiday Deco

Wow!  I've been away a while, eh?  'Tis the season.  Lots of things to do, places to go, people to see, things to create (and sicknesses to endure, ugh!). 

I haven't gushed lately how GORGEOUS Precocious Paper's product is.  Here are a couple holiday decorations I made using some of her holiday blooms.

Here I made a Country Christmas Bouquet Fabric and Felt Flower into an ornament by dipping it in UTEE and then sprinkling it with a chunky Christmas glitter blend. 

The Christmas Scroll Fabric and Felt Flowers are the perfect size to top a canning jar!  This is a quick & simple but sweet gift to give a teacher, neighbor, or friend. 

Check out the Precocious Paper Etsy store.  She has lots of gorgeous holiday and everyday flowers and embellishments, as well as some adorable cards and albums.   

And don't forget to drop by the Precocious Paper blog to check out what the DT makes for your inspiration. 

Hope you are all having a delightful and calm holiday season.  I can't believe we are only a few days away from Christmas.  Off to make some yummies for the neighbors!

p.s.  There's still time to play along with this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch, too.  Don't you just love this one?

I was a bit busy last week and skipped making this one...maybe I'll find a bit of time today.  I really love this sketch!

Scrap That Poetry Joy

I'm posting a little early Scrap That Poetry's next challenge.  We were going to do a Ho Ho Ho Hop today but you know how life can get in the way of our hobbies and the hop has been postponed.  Instead, this is a sneak preview of one of the poems that will be featured on the 15th's STP challenge.

Poem by Marinela Reka:

As you may or may not know about STP challenges, you can use as much or as little of the inspiration poem as you wish, or even just use it's inspiration!  For this poem, I focused on the idea of "joy":
 

Supplies Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Stickers: Jolee's, Making Memories; Pearls: Prima Marketing; Ornament: Wal-Mart; Ink: Ranger Industries, Clearsnap; Other: chipboard sheet

I'm a hoarder.  I admit it.  And for years I've had sitting in my scraproom a sizeable stash of the negative chipboard sheets that are leftover after you remove all the chipboard shapes.  I figured they were too cool to trash but I hadn't used any of them until I recently completed another layout for an upcoming call in Scrapbook News and Review Magazine.  I loved the way it came out so much that I just had to do it again for this hop! 

Trace all the openings and outline of the chipboard sheet onto your patterned paper and carefully cut them all out a little bigger than original size to leave a border for the chipboard to peek through.  Then ink the chipboard edges and adhere the cut out to the chipboard.  I just love the dimension this gives the layout!

 Remember to stop by the Scrap That Poetry blog on Wednesday the 15th for the next TWO poem inspirations and check out what the DT has made. 

Thank you again for stopping by!
 
Heidi
 
p.s.  The special holiday edition of Scrapbook News and Review Magazine will publish this Sunday, 12/12!  You do NOT want to miss this one, chock full of gorgeous and inspiring holiday layouts, cards, and projects!   There are even a few of Tessa's flowers in there!  :o)  A sneak peek at a couple of my projects in the magazine:

Have a great time on the hop!

Baby's First Christmas

I am in SUCH a Christmas-y mood.  I'm loving playing around with all my Christmas stash including a huge papercrafting kit I purchased from QVC at least 2 or 3 years ago.  I don't think I'd played with a single thing in the kit until now.  Its childlike whimsy and colors drew me in for this layout.

Supplies - Patterned Paper: Brenda Pinnik Designs Inc., Creative Imaginations, Me and My Big Ideas; Glitter Paper: Colorbok; Ribbon, Trim, Chipboard, Cardstock Shapes, & Brad: Brenda Pinnik Designs Inc.; Acrylic Accent: Making Memories; Die Cut: Deluxe Cuts; Rub Ons: Doodlebug Design Inc.; Dimensional Glaze: JudiKins

I have been wanting to scrap this pic of my son asleep in his first Christmas haul.  Yes, I went a bit overboard for a three-month-old.  So?!!  He was my first baby!!!!!

I'm so excited to be breaking into all my Christmas stash.  Some of this stuff is 5 or 6 years old!  Always did love these Making Memories clear frames.  I've got a ton.  I'm not sure I've ever used one before.  I adhered it to the picture with some dimensional glaze.   I've also got a ton of those Deluxe Cuts laser die cuts.  Do you ever go to the Creating Keepsakes conventions?  Deluxe Cuts always has a booth where every die cut is $1 and there's always a line a mile long.  At least, that's how it was last time I went to a convention maybe 3 years ago?  I always walked away from that booth about $40 lighter. 

Today's layout is based on this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch.  I can assure you I'll be reaching for this sketch over and over again!!!  Diana sure did rock it!

Check out what our wonderfully creative and talented Design Team made with this layout this week!  And please, come join us in the fun and play along.  You know we always have a yummy prize for one lucky random winner at the end of the week!  You have until next Wednesday night to play along.

So, how's your holiday shopping coming along?  I've pretty much finished up with the stuff for the kids but I still need to get stuff for everyone else on my list AND wrap everything.  The kids get out for winter break next Friday which gives me just one more week to get everything I need to get done without them done.  Whew!

Santa Prep

We have quite a series of rituals built up in preparation for Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve. 

We make and put out the obligatory Milk & Cookies for Santa, plus a few carrots for the reindeer.  We make magic reindeer food and sprinkle it in the front yard so Santa and the Reindeer can find our house.  We leave a magic key on the doorstep so Santa can get into our chimney-less house. 

I also allow the kids to open up one present on Christmas Eve.  It's always one of MY choosing (so they don't open their most awesome and distracting presents just before they are supposed to go to bed) and usually I choose robes or pjs, a video, or a snuggly stuffed animal to sleep with.   I feel a tad bit naughty every year because the kids get all excited to get to open a present early but then the presents aren't necessarily all that fun.  Tee hee. 

I'm really happy with my title area because I finally used one of those definition stickers that I think Making Memories made tons of a few years back.  I have them for all sorts of occasions and don't think I've ever used one before.  I'm so happy with how tranparent the sticker applied considering they have almost a frosted appearance in hand. 

This layout is based on my sketch for Sketchy Thursdays this week:

Be sure to check out the Sketchy Thursdays site to see all the amazing inspiration made for you by our awesome DT. 

OK, gotta get back to making layouts.  I'm in a frenzy right now.  I'll share them as I can.  (Most right now are being made for the Scrapbook News & Review January issue.)

What are you working on right now?  Holiday layouts?  Cards?  Presents?  Or are you taking a well-deserved crafting break? 

Scrap That Poetry Challenge December 1

How can it be December already??!! 

Earlier today I was thinking about something, thinking it felt like it just happened, and then realized it had taken place in January!  HOW is that possible?? 

The current Scrap That Poetry challenge is the poem The Tables Turned by William Wordsworth. 

I chose to use the lines,

"She has a world of ready wealth,

Our minds and hearts to bless

Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,

Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

I've been wanting ot use this paper and flower combo with this pic of my daughter for a while now.  I miss that little dress.  Are you like me?  Do you get emotionally attached to certain pieces of your kids' clothing?  I've got waaaay more saved items than I probably should.  Oh, well. 

Be sure to check out the STP blog for all the awesome DT inspiration!!! 

Happy December!!

Ninja Farewell

I am so sad to announce the demise of the Pink Ninjas blog.  Read more about it here. 

I am so grateful to Ally and Nely for embracing me and my sometimes weird layouts.  Before joining in on their fun I felt like I needed to conform to a certain way of scrapping.  Thank you so much, girls, for showing me scrapping is as individual as the person!!  I have made some of my favorite layouts for the Ninjas.

I'm also so grateful to have made so many awesome, sweet and wonderfully talented friends during my time on the team. 

I wish Ninja Masters Ally & Nely much continued success with their Ninja Addicts kits, which will become their sole Ninja focus.

You At 4

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Hope yours is going well.  Not too stressed.  Not too much glutony, LOL. 

I make the T-giving dinner every year.  I've got it down to a science.  I've got a time schedule and everything!  Hey, it's the only way I can do it without resulting in a colossal freak out.  And, trust me, I can freak out with the best (or worst) of them!! 

My favorite thing is the leftovers.  Love cold turkey with warm gravy, and all the other fixins.  Mm mm good!  And, of course, there's attacking some leftover pie straight out of the refrigerator. 

Since it's Thanksgiving, it must be Thursday.  And if it's Thursday, it's Sketchy Thursdays!!!!

Supplies Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye; Brads & Cord: Stampin' Up!; Rhinestones: K&Company; Staples: EK Success; Hardware: Hillman; Ink: StazOn; Paint: Delta; Glitter: Martha Stewart; Pens: American Crafts, Sharpie; Tools: Dymo, EK Success; Other: metallic paper, metal charm, chipboard, stamp, dictionary page, drywall tape. 

I had a blast making this layout.  I included lots of fun texture, things from the hardware store, and yummy paint and glitter. 

Did you know you can run strips of paper through your Dymo labeler to create custom colored labels?  I used some metallic silver paper for my journaling here. 

I must admit I made this layout a few months ago for Scrapbook News and Review (September 2010).  But it just worked so well with this week's sketch.  I must've been subconsciously thinking about this layout when I created the sketch. 

And I'm so honored that Diana said she loves this one and will be using it again and again!  ~beam!~ 



Yep, I'm no good at daily blogging.  It's been almost a week since I posted my Attitude of Gratitude.

I am so thankful today for my wonderful, loving family!  We may get loud and impatient at times, but in the end, we just love each other. 

Have a great Turkey Day and try not to spend too much tomorrow on Black Friday! 

- Heidi

Is it weird?

Is it weird to be thankful that UTEE can be remelted again and again? 

Heavenly Hash

It's funny the little things which trigger the strongest feelings.  I associate my Grandma Madeleine's Heavenly Hash with family gatherings.  It's such a simple recipe.  Nothing fancy.  But having it there, among all the other dishes, for whichever holiday we're celebrating, makes it like she's there with us. 

Supply credits to come...

I've always wished my kids could have gotten to know my Grandma.  Especially my daughter for whom she is named after.  But, instead, I hope making the dish together brings them just a little bit closer to her.

I decided to try my hand at a digi layout again.  You know, I always hear digi scrappers proclaim how much quicker they scrap digitally.  Uh, nope.  Still takes me for. ev. er.  Although, I do believe it has a lot to do with my snail of a laptop. 

This layout is based on this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch.  I'm making up for all those very clean and simple sketches I made the last couple months, eh?

Well, I've managed to miss another 3 days of the Attitude of Gratitude challenge.  I'm going to have to catch up later this week. 

Today, I am grateful my kids did have the opportunity to get to know my Grandpa despite however brief their time together was.  Or moreso, I'm glad he got to meet them.  :o)

Gratitude

Today's Scrap That Poetry poem is "Prayer for the Great Family", a Mohawk Indian prayer. 


Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day—

and to her soil: rich, rare and sweet
in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Plants, the sun-facing, light-changing leaf
and fine root-hairs; standing still through wind
and rain; their dance is in the flowering spiral grain
in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Air, bearing the soaring Swift and silent
Owl at dawn. Breath of our song
clear spirit breeze
in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers, teaching secrets,
freedoms, and ways; who share with us their milk;
self-complete, brave and aware
in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Water: clouds, lakes, rivers, glaciers;
holding or releasing; streaming through all
our bodies salty seas
in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to the Sun: blinding pulsing light through
trunks of trees, through mists, warming caves where
bears and snakes sleep— he who wakes us—
in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to the Great Sky
who holds billions of stars— and goes yet beyond that—
beyond all powers, and thoughts
and yet is within us—
Grandfather Space.
The Mind is his Wife.
so be it.

What a perfect poem for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and the Attitude of Gratitude challenge. 

Supplies Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Metal Charm: Around the Block; Brad: Bo Bunny; Stickers: Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket; Twine: EK Success; Pen: Zig

I am so grateful my kids sometimes really like and are grateful for each other.  Sometimes. 

Precocious Paper Fall Flower Tree Tutorial

Yea!  Finally!!!  The Precocious Paper Fall Flower Tree tutorial!!!

This is a tutorial that was originally included in the Scrapbook News and Review Magazine Halloween newsletters a few weeks back.  Be sure to sign up to receive the SNR newsletters...they're chock full of tips, eye candy, and sometimes tutorials!

Supplies Flowers: Precocious Paper; Paint: Plaid; Styrofoam: FloralCraft; Other: pins, ribbon

This is a fun, easy and versatile idea for a holiday decoration. I say versatile because you can switch out the flower colors and patterns by season if you only temporarily attach the flowers.

Begin by gathering a few supplies:

• Styrofoam cone (9” shown)
• A variety of fabric flowers in various sizes (18 used, from 1” – 3”)
• Paint in a complementary color
• Ribbon in a complementary color/pattern
• Pins

Paint your cone with a color complementary to your flowers. I do this so that if any of the cone ends up showing through after the flowers and ribbon are attached it won’t be so noticeable.

Starting at the bottom of the cone, attach the largest flowers with pins to create the first row, lining up the petals with the bottom of the cone. Overlap the flowers slightly. So that the pins won’t be visible, hide them by inserting into folds of fabric or by lifting topmost petals and inserting through lower petals. For this particular 9” cone, I used five 3” flowers for the bottom row.

 After the bottom row of flowers is attached, wrap coordinating ribbon around the bottom, underneath the flowers, to hide any large gaps. Attach the ribbon with pins also, hiding the pins underneath the flower petals. Repeat by wrapping ribbon just above the flower row, tucking it under the petals and securing with pins.

 Continue alternating rows of flowers and ribbon from the bottom up, overlapping flowers slightly. To finish the tree, attach a small flower to the very top and sprinkle additional smaller flowers throughout, covering up any large gaps.

 I like to use pins to attach the flowers because I can easily readjust the flowers as I go along. And, after the holiday decorations are taken down, I can easily remove the flowers and reuse them on layouts commemorating that holiday. Plus the cone is now ready to be decorated with the next holiday’s flowers.

 If you would rather make a more permanent decoration, simply attach the flowers with glue using a hot glue gun.

 This is such a simple and quick holiday project that it’s a cinch to make several at a time. You can easily create an attractive display with trees of different sizes, colors and patterns.

I am so grateful I get to share what I love doing with all you awesome people out there in bloggy land!!!  Thank you so much for stopping by!!

Can someone please tell my immune system?

Quit it already!!!!!

This is getting tiresome.

I feel like I've been sick more in the last year than in the last five. Ugh!

I started with a flu-like cold at the beginning of the week...was down for a day...& then thought I was getting better.

Surprise!! Nope! I started to get worse again yesterday and now today I've pretty much got no voice.

Wth??!!!

So, once again (or more like twice) I've neglected to post the Precocious Paper flower tree tutorial. I will try to get it on on Sunday.

Today I'm grateful for my recently extremely generous technologically husband! Without his gift of an iPhone4 I would not be posting this right now! (So you will understand if there are any glaring typos here. I had to turn off auto-correct already.)

I feel like I've finally joined the 21st century. LOL!

:oD

1 Tuff Chick

Supplies Patterned Paper: Made For Retail, Inc., K&Company; Stickers: Doodlebug Design, Inc.; Flower: Prima Marketing; Ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Pen: Zig; Other: thread

As long as I can remember, The Girl has been one tuff little chick.  If she gets hurt, she cries for maybe a minute and then she's done.  She moves on.  She doesn't milk it or dwell.  (Unlike her male counterpart.  Ugh.)

A day or two before her second birthday she slipped off the arm of the couch and smacked face first into the corner of that table in the picture.  That was the fastest bruise I've ever seen!  I swear it was instant.  And it stuck around for, no joke, more than three months.  And to this day, three years later, her face creases in that spot when she smiles. 

How cute are those chick and mushroom (strip lain over the ribbon) papers? They're from an 8-pack I got in the Target Dollar Spot!!!  So cute!!!  Some of the sheets are glittery, some are glossy.

This layout is based on today's Sketchy Thursdays sketch.  Love it!!!

Be sure to stop by the blog to check out what amazing inspiration the DT has cooked up for you.  And, trust me, you're going to want to check out the prize.  (OK, twist my arm...it's a set of Copics!)

So, today my Attitude of Gratitude entry is I am thankful for how tuff my little girl is.  She may whine and complain and pull the princess card about trivial things but when the tough stuff arises, when she really gets genuinely hurt, she's a trooper.  And trust me, this is a good thing because I swear the child leads with her face. 

;o)

Wow! Didn't take me long...

I made it, what, five days before falling off the daily gratitude wagon?  LOL. 

Actually, I had a crazy busy weekend with kid activities and then ended up getting sick (again?? really??!!) come Monday.  So I guess I have 5 days worth of gratitude to share now, huh?

OK, here goes, in no particular order...

I am grateful for people who actually like their job and are good at it.  I know that sounds like kinda a weird thing to be grateful for but I've had my share of less-than-perfect kids' birthday parties.  But this past Saturday, for The Girl's 5th birthday party, we went to a local bouncy place and our host "Bear Cat" (I never did get his proper name...I'm assuming it really wasn't Bear Cat) made this the best party ever.  He was loud.  He was crazy.  He engaged and played with the kids.  He was cool with the adults, too.  He generally ROCKED.  Thank you, Bear Cat!

I am grateful for being part of an awesome magazine and forum (Scrapbook News and Review) where I have learned TONS (and learned that I have barely scratched the surface as far as what I know about paper crafting products and techniques).  Seriously, check out the forum.  DAILY you'll find new ideas and techniques and videos.  And people actually participate on the forum so you get lots of info and points of view. 

I am grateful for Puffs Plus tissues.  I don't know how people (my hubby, lol) use the non-lotion kind.  Trust me, I've become quite close with these over the last few days.  Ahhhhh...

I am grateful for my son's piano teacher.  She's also the mom of one of his besties so once the lesson is over, the boys get to play for a while before I pick him up.  She's so awesome.  She makes the lessons fun for him and I think she brings out the best in him. 

I am grateful I learned how to "properly" type back in junior high, I think?  Otherwise it'd take me eons to write all these ridiculously long posts, LOL!  My son's been learning how to type in his computer labs.  I'm not sure if they're really learning how to properly type but if they are, that's awesome!  And in first grade!!!  It's amazing how much they do on the computers already and it'll be great for him to learn now before getting into any bad habits. 

OK, I think that catches me up. 

I know I promised to share the tutorial for the Precocious Paper Fall Flower Tree this past weekend.  I'll shoot for Friday, sound good?

Ain't Fall Grand?

I want to express gratitude to all the wonderful people who have accepted me and my often quirky crafting style onto their design teams. 

Today I'd like to express particular thanks to Tessa of Precocious Paper.  I am so lucky to be a part of her amazing team, getting to work with her gorgeous flowers, and I am especially lucky to have found such a wonderful friend!  My jaw drops at every one of her creations.  The girl just oozes talent and creativity and she just inspires me to no end.  And then to get to actually hold little works of Tessa art in my hands and create with them??!!!  I am soooo lucky!!!!

This particular layout features her Sewing Pattern Petals. 

Supplies Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye; Flowers: Precocious Paper; Stickers: Jenni Bowlin, Colorbok; Chipboard: Bo Bunny; Brads: My Mind's Eye; Twine: EK Success; Stamp: Autumn Leaves; Ink: Tsukineko; Pen: Zig

I wish you could see this layout IRL.  I used the My Mind's Eye flocked paper and it's just gorgeous.  So touchable!!!

This is a picture taken last month during our trip to California.  My husband's grandmother, 95-year-old Grandma Lu Lu, lives just minutes away from Disneyland so we made sure to visit her.  The last time she saw The Girl she was about a month old!!!  I am so happy that the kids have been able to meet some of their great grandparents during their lives. 

Another project I recently made with EIGHTEEN Precocious Paper flowers was a Fall Flower Tree for the Scrapbook News and Review Halloween newsletter.

Supplies Flowers: Precocious Paper; Paint: Plaid; Styrofoam: FloralCraft; Other: pins, ribbon

This bad boy features Black Lace and Felt Flowers,  Orange Bridal Satin Blossoms, Halloween Shimmer Rolled Fabric Flowers, and the Halloween Bouquet of Fabric and Felt Flowers.

If you missed the tutorial on how to make this little cutie in the Scrapbook News and Review newsletter, stay tuned to this blog this weekend for a rerun.  Click HERE to sign up for the SNR newsletters.  They're full of great eye candy and information.  Of course, IMHO you really should subscribe to the magazine, too.  Especially this month!  It's a special double issue with over 500 pieces of artwork, projects, tutorials, and articles!!!!

Be sure to check out the Precocious Paper blog for some additional and very gorgeous inspiration from other members of the DT!!

Hope you have fun plans for the weekend.  Tomorrow is The Girl's birthday party at one of those bouncy places.  I'm liking this having their birthday parties outside the home!!!!

anTINKcipation

April 2011 issue

Disneyland has this adorable little area called Pixie Hollow where you can meet Tinkerbelle and the other Fairies.  It's nice because the meet and greet is private...your party is the only one in with the Fairies at the time so the children can talk to them and get unrushed pictures.  The problem with that...what appears to be a very short line lasts a very looooong time.  We had maybe 20 people tops in front of us and we waited between 45 minutes and a half hour.  Luckily the area where you wait is adorable with lush foliage, a little pond with dancing waters, and little fairies and their homes half-hidden to occupy your time. 

I'll have to share the pics of The Girl with Tinkerbelle and Fawn another time.  (Oh, yeah, all the Fairies are not necessarily there, either.)

This layout is based on this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch. 

I am grateful for the time I got to spend one-on-one with my little girlie girl while we were in Disneyland.  Even when we spend time together daily without anyone else home it isn't anything special, kwim?  I need to make more of an effort to make the every day special. 

Have you been keeping up with your Attitude of Gratitude or following along with Tessa?

As Fair Art Thou

Oops!  I forgot yesterday was the 1st of the month which means another Scrap That Poetry challenge.  This time we have the beautiful poem "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns.  Check out the poem HERE.

I chose the lines, "As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, so deep in luve am I..."  And, no, I that's not a typo!  That's how Mr. Burns spelled love back in the day.  ;oD

This is a pic of The Girl as Alice in Wonderland at the Disneyland Halloween Celebration a few weeks ago.  I thought this Webster's Pages paper complemented the colors in the picture beautifully. 

I didn't want to cover up any of the gorgeous images so I did a fair amount of fussy cutting.  However, what I did cover up was my daughter's shoes which I thought really made her outfit.  See, in my rush to pack for the trip, Mommy forgot to consider footwear for the kids' costumes so the girl ended up wearing her All-Stars with her costume.  However, I thought it looked ADORABLE because she looked like a little punk Alice.  Man, if I'd have thought to do that on purpose I would've tried to find her a fitted full-sleeve tattoo t-shirt to go under it, too, LOL.

Drooling over that gorgeous flower???  That's a yummy Precocious Paper Bridal Satin Blossom.  Unfortunately, this picture just doesn't do the color justice.  It's a rich, jewel red.

Check out the amazing inspiration from the Scrap That Poetry DT for this poem.  And we'd love to have you come by and play along with us, too!

**

Attitude of Gratitude, Day 2

Today I am grateful for all the wonderful, sweet, and MAJORLY talented people on the Design Teams I'm involved with: Sketchy Thursdays, Scrap That Poetry, Precocious Paper, Pink Ninjas, and the entire staff of Scrapbook News and Review.  These people inspire me daily.  What a wonderful craft!!!

Oct/Nov Double Issue of Scrapbook News and Review online now!! + a birthday and some gratitude

Have to say, I'm quite partial to the cover, too.

~beam!~

My first cover!!! 

This is an awesome special double issue of Scrapbook News and Review with TONS of eye candy, tutorials, articles, and product reviews!!!

If you're a subscriber, you are NOT going to be disappointed!!

If you're not a subscriber yet, this is definitely a great issue to start out with. 

In it, in addition to a bunch of new layouts, I've also got two full-length, step-by-step tutorials (faux wax seals and making an embossed metal picture frame using the Cuttlebug), and two product reviews (Lawn Fawn stamps and the new Cricut Toy Story cartridge). 

Here's a little sneak peek of a project from my faux wax seal article and a gorgeous layout by the talented SNR Staffer Lisa  Valentine!

Faux Wax Seal by Heidi Myers

Always by Lisa Valentine

Hope you have a chance to check out this issue because it is absolutely fabulous!!!

And don't forget, today is the deadline to submit for the Scrapbook News and Review holiday issue!!!!  Hope you see you in there!

***

In other awesome news...today is The Girl's 5th birthday!!!  I can't believe she's FIVE.  That blows me away.

Happy Birthday Girlie!!!

What a good segue into my first post for Tessa's Attitude of Gratitude challenge for November.

Might as well start big!  I am so grateful for my wonderful little family.  They are simply amazing and I love them more than anything.  I don't know where I would be without them.

So, what are you grateful for?