Anticipation

I've still got a few holiday layouts I haven't shared with you so I'm going to start sprinkling them in here and there.

Supplies Cardstock, Patterened Paper, Journaling Block & Ribbon: SEI; Felt Embellie: Precocious Paper; Clip: Making Memories; Stickers: American Crafts; Pen: Zig

Originally published in Scrapbook News and Review Holiday Sampler 2010

I think the picture here is so funny because this is the first year the kids really understood the concept of Christmas Eve presents. (That they were getting a present! LOL!)  The funny part to me is I know how their faces looked after they opened up these presents.  Because, although I want them to have the fun of opening up a Christmas Eve present, I don't want to give away the whole farm, so to speak, the night before the "real" fun. So, the CE presents are cool but not necessarily a toy.  In these presents there are robes.   Granted, they eventually came to love these robes and still wear them to this day but yeah, they weren't so enamored of them that night.  Ha ha ha!

Check out that awesome, gorgeous, enormous felt star on the layout.  That's one of Tessa's Precocious Paper goodies.  I ~heart~ these so much. 

Hope you're having a great weekend. 

We're off to yummy sushi for lunch in a bit - one of the kids' favorite!! 

- Heidi

Buds

This is a bittersweet layout, pics of my son with his bestie.  They clicked on the first day of school and have been close ever since.  My son even takes piano from his bestie's mom!

Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper; Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup; Border: Doodlebug Designs; Stickers: American Crafts; Twine: EK Success; Stamps: Technique Tuesdays, Unity Stamp Company; Ink: Ranger Industries, Stampin' Up!; Pen: Zig; Spray Ink: Maya Road, Tattered Angels; Glitter Glue: Ranger Industries; Masks: Ranger Industries; Other: metal charms, thread

I say this is bittersweet because I made this layout as a going away present.  His family is moving to another state this weekend.  It's a great opportunity for his family but we're going to miss him (and his awesome piano teacher mom!) like crazy.  Yesterday was his last lesson and the parting was tearful.  Besides the layout, we got him a scrapbook - the same as my son's for 2011 - and a Webkinz so they can stay in touch and play online. 

The background is misted over a Tim Holtz overlay and then stamped inside masked by using the negative of the overlays.  I also colored in some white Thickers and glittered them up. 

Fun with alcohol inks.  :)

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

The Sketchy Design Team knocked their inspiration for this sketch out of the park this week.  Please go check it out!!!  And play along with us!!!!

I wish my son's friend and his family all the best in their new home!

I gotta ask...what's your favorite white cardstock?  I'm trying to find a nice THICK one I like for layout bases, especially one that'll stand up to misting and paint without warping.  Any suggestions?  Where do you find yours?

On another note, I think it's so funny that one of my DIGI layouts is on the front page of the Scrapbook News and Review site right now.  It's a slippery slope, getting props for my digi work.  I bought another digi paper set yesterday.  :-O  LOL!

Be sure to stop by the SNR forums and front page and give us your opinions on all the new CHA sneak previews, too! 

Speaking of CHA, are you going?  LUCKY!!!!

And, finally, a big Happy Birthday to the hubby today!  Mwah!

Hope you have a great weekend planned and aren't too cold and/or snowy.  We've been hovering around the 70 degree mark for a couple weeks now.  THIS is why people live here.  It just amazes me how we're all willing to suffer through 8 months of hot as hell for 4 months of good weather.  LOL.

I've officially crossed over to the dark side.

I've dabbled in digi in the past.  But it was free digi.  I was never very committed to the whole idea of making digi layouts so I didn't want to "waste" any money on digi elements or paper. 

Well, I officially crossed over to the digi dark side today...I bought TWO complete kits with the full intention of using them for layouts. 

April 2011 issue

Supplies - Papers, flowers, trim, and rhinestone: Heart Sweet Heart kit by Dianne Rigdon; Word art: Live Well Word Art kit by Jo Hanna

This is based on the sketch I made for Sketchy Thursdays this week:

We'd love to have you join us and play along.  You have until next Wednesday to be eligible to win a really cute kit prize!

Don't forget, we still have our February Guest Design Team Challenge running, too! 

Have a fantastic day full of laughter!

Enjoying a Day Off School

We're enjoying a day off school today for the MLK holiday.  (Like we didn't just have 3 weeks off, LOL!) 

In just a few weeks we're going to be declaring our intent to return to our school for another year for my son AND enrolling my daughter (finally!!!).  I'm hoping to get her in with the same K teacher my son had because we loved her.  Here's a pic of my son with her at the meet-the-teacher open house before his first day of K. 

I made this a few months ago for the school issue of Scrapbook News and Review. 

Speaking of which, the January issue is live on the website!  I am soooooo proud of so many of the layouts I made for this particular issue.  I don't know what it was about this month but I had some great mojo.  If you have a subscription go check it out!  If not, get one!  For less than $5 a month you get a mag stuffed full of over 400 pieces of inspiration, articles, product reviews and tutorials a month. 

I'm in the midst of reorganizing and cleaning top to bottom my house.  Yes, it's a gigantic task and it's taking/going to take for. ev. er. but it's about time.  I've been ruthless with tossing and putting in the donate pile so far which is awesome!  (I'm a terrible hoarder.) 

Back to the mess!

Sketchy Thursdays sketch up

Unfortunately I wasn't able to play along with Sketchy Thursdays' sketch this week but check out what our Design Team made for you.  Some stellar work!!!!  So inspriring!

We'd love to have you play along with us.  This week's sponsor is Scrappy Jo's Scrapbook Supplies with a Marks Paper Company paper set up for grabs.  You can submit your layout based upon this sketch through Wedensday 1/19 for your chance to win.  

I was busy, busy, busy this week getting in a few last minute projects for the February issue of Scrapbook News and Review.  I have to say I am so loving being an SNR Staffer and besides getting to share my work in the magazine I am learning so much.  The SNR Admin and Staffers are quite a diverse and knowledgeable group and we have so much fun! 

SNR is having its first ever Staffer Call until February 4!  Check out this link for info.

The January issue of Scrapbook News and Review goes live this Sunday, 1/16.  I am so excited to see this one.  I have to say I made some of my All Time Favorite projects for this issue and can't wait for them to debut!!! 

Have a great day!

Heidi

Toot! Toot! CK Baby!

I am so excited!

I have a layout in the February 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes Magazine!!!

Page 16!!!!

It's the "CK&Me"  layout of the month (where you submit a layout that was inspired by another you saw in a previous CK).

************

Speaking of being published...

Scrapbook News and Review's February call is online now.  Check it out!  Let me know if you submit!!  The deadline is January 20.

I'm so excited to be a part of their new Education Team.  We're working hard to bring you lots of quick & easy and in-depth tutorials each month.  I'm also helping to get a whole new Stamping section started in the magazine.  If you like to stamp -on anything: cards, layouts, multi media - check out the February calls. 

I absolutely LOVE working for SNR.  I'm learning so much and having a great time!!!

Hope you are all having a great weekend!!

Precocious Paper February Sampler Sneak Preview

Have you checked out the Precocious Paper shop lately?  Beginning this month Tessa is offering monthly limited edition samplers that are to die for.  They include handmade flowers, many of which are exclusive to the samplers, plus other yummies such as coordinating ribbon on adorable wooden clothes pins. 

The January Sampler includes:

 ♥ 1 Fabric and Felt Flower (3 inches)

♥ 1 Yo-Yo Posy (1.5 inches)

♥ 1 Aqua Lace and Felt Flower (exclusive to sampler, about 3 inches)

♥ 1 Mustard Yellow Lollipop Lace Flower (exclusive to sampler, 2.5 inches)

♥ 1 Classic Ivory Rolled Fabric Flower (3 inches)

♥ 1 Set of Spiral Felt Flowers in Aqua, Ivory, and Mustard Yellow (exclusive to the sampler, ranging in size from 1 - 1.5 inches)

♥ 1 Daffodil Dyed Cardboard Flower (about 3 inches)

♥ 3 Leaves (about 1.5 inches long)

♥ 3 Ribbon Clothespins with a Decorative Stick Pin (set exclusive to sampler, 4 total yards of ribbon)

 Seriously, how cute is that kit??
 
And there are even coordinating journaling spots and additional flowers in the shop! 

I was lucky enough to get to work with the February Sampler, "Sweet On You", which will be available in the Precocious Paper shop 1/25.  Here's a little sneak peek at this adorable kit...
 
 

I love the color scheme of the February kit.  It's all frosting pinks, luscious reds, and cool minty greens, just perfect for layouts about sweet, yummy, pudgy little children. 

My daughter is about 3- or 4-months-old in this picture.  Man, she was a chunky little thing!  She's now a little twig.  People often comment how light she is compared to other children her age (or even younger!).  She takes after her daddy.  :o)

The three flowers and the dotted ribbon are from the February Sampler. 

Here my son is 15-months-old.  I absolutely love this picture and didn't want to detract from it so I went very simple on the layout. 

I think these rolled felt flowers are my favorite ones in the sampler.  They're so sweet, like little flower cupcakes.  They lend just the right amount of height and softness.  The mint ribbon and the heart stick pin are also from the February sampler.

After stitching the edges of the layout, as I was sweeping the thread trimmings off my work surface, I noticed a few of them landed in very cool designs.  Serendipity, I say!  I transferred a couple of them to my layout and glued them on, careful to not change their shapes.  There's the swirl above and the infinity shape below.  

How perfect is that?  An infinity symbol on a layout about how much I love this little guy.  And yes, his eyelashes are that long and luscious and they've gotten even longer as he's gotten older.  (So unfair, on a boy!  LOL!)  Just like his daddy!

Check out the Precocious Paper blog to see some samples today by Suzy using the January Sampler and be sure to check back every Friday for additional samples from the very talented PP DT!  I'm so grateful to Tessa for choosing me to play along with this talented group and her amazing products!!!! 

Thanks for stopping by today!!!

Heidi

Mmm...Oden

I much prefer winter fare to summer, probably because we have such a shortened season here in Arizona so there's not enough time to get sick of anything. 

One thing our whole family enjoys is oden, a Japanese soup/stew. 

Supplies Cardstock: The Paper Company; Patterned Paper: Aitoh Co., Creative Imaginations, K&Company; Stickers: Pink Paislee; Chipboard: Colorbok; Trim: Making Memories (yellow); Ink: Clearsnap, Tsukineko; Cricut: Create a Critter; Other: thread, drywall tape, trim (black)

 Up until a week ago, it had always been made for special occasions by Obaachan, my mother-in-law.  I just assumed it was a labor-intensive, secret-recipe sort of thing.  Until she gave us the ingredients for Christmas and we undertook its making on New Year's Day.  Uh, nope.  Suuuuuper easy to make.  I can tell you this will be a regular in our menu rotation now!  Woohoo!!!! 

I realized there really is no exact recipe for this.  As my journaling says, "Oden is a Japanese winter dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon radish, konnyaku and processed fish cakes stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth."  We started with an "oden set" which was a frozen package of various fish cakes and the base for the dashi broth.  We added some water to the broth base and then we included in ours the fish cakes, plus sliced up another fish cake our kids love which looks like half a log that's white on the inside and hot pink on the outside, taro balls, enoki mushrooms, konnyaku noodles, sliced daikon radish, and hard-boiled egg.  YUM! 

I happened to hit an awesome New Year's sale on Cricut cartridges and pretty much purchased the Create a Critter cartridge entirely for this adorable ramen bowl!

I'm not usually one for the cutesy but that's just too stinkin' cute to pass up. 

I used some StazOn ink to color that drywall tape you see...it starts out white.  I love being able to alter the color of things!

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

Come play along with us.  This week we have a yummy prize from Nikki Sivils!!

Hope everyone had an awesome holiday!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Heidi