Best.

I found SKETCH 24 at Paper Bakery and combined it with THIS Tic Tac Toe challenge on Kerry's blog to celebrate Sketch N Scrap's second birthday. I chose washi, birthday photos, and doilies. Here's what I came up with...

me - on a birthday. have to ask mom which one.

I dug out my Webster's Pages Recorded collection because I've barely ever touched it. I used some old Maya Road doilies, stamps from Studio Calico + Versafine ink in onyx black. I added some old MME/SC enamel dots and SC chipboard stars. The label stickers are Pink Paislee, Elle's Studio, and Kal Barteski from the April SC kits. Oh, and the washi tapes are both from SC kits.

This was a fun challenge to use up some of my stash. I find that I mostly only use what I am sent for design team work and my SC kits every month. It was fun to mix and match and dig up some old embellishments I had forgotten about!

hello card for NSD | Scrap Much? online crop.

I hope you're getting a lot done today for NSD! It's time for challenge #5at our online crop for Scrap Much? This one is a card challenge!

 

This is a quick card using my April Studio Calico kits + some SC washi from a previous kit.

Hope you'll come join us at our ScrapMuch? NSD online crop Facebook group.

I was also inspired by THIS challenge at Stick It Down - you can use any of their past sketches as inspiration.

check this out - Scrap Much?! NSD online crop challenge #1.

Today is National Scrapbooking day! ScrapMuch?! is hosting an online crop with lots of challenges and prizes. If you haven't already, go join their ScrapMuch?! NSD online crop Facebook group. (& tell them I sent you!:))

The first challenge is live at 9a.m. and is a single page sketch. This is our sketch:
This is my page:

I sized it down to 8.5x11 and documented my night with Dave Ramsey from a week or so ago. Hint: he said hi to me!

I used a lot of my April Studio Calico kits on this page + SC stamps and wood veneer. The ink is StazOn jet black and Versafine onyx black. That's also a SC date stamp and the enamel dots are from an older SC kit.

Thanks for stopping to check out our first challenge! I hope you join the Facebook group and crop with us today - there are plenty more challenges to come!

yeah [LCOM sketch 70].

I've been asked to stay on LCOM for another term and of course I was excited to say YES. This is my first sketch as part of the new term. Sketch 70...It's hard to believe I joined the team in December 2012 with sketch #2! Crazy.

Anyway.

Sketch #70 - 

I converted this sketch to 8.5x11 and used a photo I took with my phone a couple months ago. One morning at work I noticed my coffee mug matched my scrubs. The journaling is about how I have been converted to a 'morning person' after 10 years of being 'not a morning person.' 

 

Everything on my page is from my April Studio Calico kits except the chipboard nurse bag which is by Creative Embellishments. The black ink is StazOn jet black. The gold ink is by EK Success.

The prize for May is a $20 gift certificate to the LCOM store!

 

How to Play Along:

1. Make a newly created project using the provided sketch and upload it to your blog or online gallery.
2. Then leave a link to your project using the Inlinkz widget HERE. Please use a direct link to your LCOM Sketch post and not just your blog address.
3. If you upload to online galleries, please also use tag/keyword LCOM70. LCOM products are NOT required to participate, and you can enter as many times as you want. If you don't have a particular shape indicated in the sketch, feel free to substitute.
4. There is no time limit - you can always play any week at any time, but the linking form will close on the last day of the month at 8:00pm (Atlantic Standard Time) to allow us to find a prize winner.

these are the things that I love|MSB.

On the 29th of each month, I have a post on the My Stamp Box blog. Today I'm sharing a layout using the Pixel Perfect stamp set. 

I used items from my April Studio Calico kits + the sentiment from the Pixel Perfect stamp set down on the right corner. I stamped with Versafine ink in onyx black. The gold ink is EK Success. I added a project life card from the SC Print Shop collection and a puffy geotag sticker from Skipping5. The candy dots are by Pebbles, the cork stickers are Freckled Fawn, and the gold enamel dots are twine + ink.

you're invited|MSB.

Hey Hey! 

Today I have a card to share for the My Stamp Box design team. This card features the Lovely Houses stamp set + the Small Greetings stamp set for the sentiment.

 

 I colored the house with gelatos and cut it apart from the flowers and sidewalk that were accenting it. The sentiment was stamped and punched with my ticket shaped punch and then I colored it was gelatos as well. The patterned papers are from the Studio Calico Print Shop collection, which is one of my top five paper collections of ALL time.

wild.

These are our two youngest nephews...this was taken a couple of weekends ago through the truck window as they were riding around their grandparent's yard. They loved riding in the back of the truck - even though it was pretty cold outside!

My page is based on a sketch I found at Paper Bakery.

Almost everything on my page is from my April Studio Calico kits + I added wood veneers from Creative Embellishments.

the time Dave Ramsey said hi to me.

My friend Kysha had an extra ticket to see Dave Ramsey last night. He and his daughter are on their Legacy Journey tour and were at a church in Indianapolis. He and his daughter were touring, promoting their new book Smart Money Smart Kids. 

Kysha's brother had the tickets and we were running a little late (traffic) so we were waiting outside the entrance for her brother to bring us our tickets. Suddenly a side door opened and Dave came out with what appeared to be a bodyguard and a director of sorts. They all walked past and Dave said hi to us!

Since my only debt is my house, his knowledge and principles have never been super applicable to me and their new book is definitely  not appropriate for me, but I enjoy listening to him. He's a funny guy and he has tons of good information. His five principles for winning with money are the foundation:

1. Get on a budget.
2. Get out of debt. Your most powerful wealth building tool is your income.
3. Build quality relationships.
4. Save and invest. You should have 3-6 months of expenses in an emergency fund.
5. Build wealth and give. 

It ended up being a late night - we didn't get home until 11:30. But I think it was worth it and I immediately shared what I learned with TJ, who has $100K student loan debt. Yowza

Best Moments[LCOM].

I was given this awesome Jillibean Soup 12x12 placemat to work with by Isabelle at LCOM. I considered cutting it down but ultimately decided to keep it the large size and try to include photos of everyone on vacation. There were ten of us total on spring break but all of the little squares provide the perfect solution for including small photos of lots of people. (Yes, I'm still finishing up photos from our cruise in January and now we've just returned from a week in Florida. More beach photos!)

I used the So Noted patterned papers and stickers by Carta Bella. I also used this collection on THIS page. I didn't want to have every square embellished and overwhelming to the eye. I hope I chose a good balance of more simple squares and more elaborate squares. I was also given Bo Bunny brads to use as accents. I typically am not a brad person, but these brads are very cute. I love the heart designs and there are two really cute 'live life' brads. I used three brads on this page.

A few weeks ago I posted a layout using a different Jillibean placemat. You can see it HERE. I actually did not use the placemat itself; I used it as a mask and misted over it.

Many of my other embellishments are from the April Studio Calico kits (badge, flair, 'today' stamp). The wood veneer, sequins, the other stamps, the die cut plastic heart, and cork hearts are also by Studio Calico. The yellow anchor washi is from Glitz Design. The puffy geotag stickers is Skipping5 and the enamel dots are Basic Grey.

Jump over to the LCOM blog today to see what the other media girls did!

sweet Ida Mae.

It's been a few days since I've had a chance to make a page so tonight I combined a few challenges and got to work. 

My page is based on THIS sketch at Stuck?! Sketches.

I was inspired by THIS challenge at Creative Embellishments. I used the polka dots in the image as inspiration + lace, enamel dots, mist, and rhinestones with the Dog Gone Cute wood veneer set.

I used THIS tic tac toe challenge with wood, a butterfly, and staples.

 THIS word challenge with the word 'sweet.'

This is Ida Mae, who was at the humane society. The volunteer coordinator contacted me last week to see if I could transport her to Indianapolis. One of the volunteers from the coon hound rescue in Cincinnati was able to meet me halfway to take her from the shelter to their rescue. So on Saturday we picked her up from the shelter and gave her a ride to Indianapolis, where we met the lady from the rescue group, and she was on her merry way (hopefully to a great new home!).

I used mostly items from my April Studio  Calico kits + Mister Huey in Doris. The letter stickers are from my stash - Sassafras and Twinkle Thickers. The pink washi is Leeza Gibbons and the green is Freckled Fawn. Thanks for looking!

30 before 30 progress.

I'm slowly making my way through my 30 before 30 list. I only have about three more months and I doubt I will get everything crossed off.

30 before 30

1 visit a pumpkin patch & bring home a pumpkin

2 go on a hot air balloon ride

3 take a vacation to the east coast

4 get another tattoo (Sept 2012) (April 2014)

5 pay off my car

6 run in another race (10/12/13 Highway Half & 5K)

7 take a wine tasting class (we did a wine tasting winter 2012 and winter 2013)

8 take Bentley on an overnight stay somewhere (Michigan 2012)

9 cut back on cussing (April 2014)

10 finish the Catcher in the Rye

11 do something scary (jumped my car 4/17/14 & aired up mom’s tires 4/29/14)

12 paint the entryway/hallway at TJ’s (halfway done 3/12)

13 visit a new zoo (John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, MI 5/13)

14 go to a ballet

15 see Chicago at Christmas time (did go 12/12 but didn’t see Michigan Ave)

16 stay in a cabin in Tennessee in the fall

17 donate blood again

18 set up for emergency preparedness

19 get my teeth bleached (just bought the stuff April 2014!)

20 buy something at a farmer’s market

21 go to the tulip festival in Michigan (May 3-5, 2013!)

22 learn to use my pressure cooker

23 learn how to use Photo Shop

24 ride my bicycle more

25 be published in a magazine again (Scrap ‘n Art online magazine July/August 2013!)

26 attend church regularly (regularly as of Oct 2013!)

27 be a nicer person

28 fix the patio doors at TJ's (halfway done)

29 buy a house (NOV 2013!!)

30 continue to foster/rescue work for Love of Labs

Scrap Much?! design team announcement...

I'm SO excited to announce I was asked to join the first ever design team at Scrap Much?! View the announcement HERE.

gary [LCOM sketch 68].

Today we're revealing sketch #68 at Let's Capture our Memories!

You can view sketch 68 on the LCOM blog today along with the designs the other media team girls made. Here was the sketch:

Here's what I made:

I was given the Echo Park patterned papers, which I found very hard to work with. I like the bold colors with the white and think the contrast is great but the patterns were what threw me off. I was also given the chipboard hexagon shapes (which I painted and covered with washi tape) and the Jillibean Soup wooden tag (which I inked with gold and embellished with mini veneer hears by Studio Calico). I used some labels and circle tags from Elle's Studio and Chic Tags. The enamel dots are Teresa Collins. 

Make sure to visit the LCOM blog today for some variations on this sketch - the other two media girls always have fabulous designs. Here's how you can play along for a chance to win 4x6 transparancies by Simple Stories...

1. Make a newly created project using the provided sketch and upload it to your blog or online gallery.
2. Then leave a link to your project using the Inlinkz widget HERE. Please use a direct link to your LCOM Sketch post and not just your blog address.
3. If you upload to online galleries, please also use tag/keyword LCOM68. LCOM products are NOT required to participate, and you can enter as many times as you want. If you don't have a particular shape indicated in the sketch, feel free to substitute.
4. There is no time limit - you can always play any week at any time, but the linking form will close on the last day of the month at 8:00pm (Atlantic Standard Time) to allow us to find a prize winner.

just a little hello [card]|MSB.

Just dropping by to deliver a little hello today. The weather is getting nicer here... for now. We'll see if it stays around. I've spent most of the day outdoors but I did come inside long enough for some crafty time.

I made a quick card to share today using the Oval Office stamp set from My Stamp Box.

if there is a Heaven [LCOM featuring Carta Bella].

It's Monday and I'm back from vacation. Yes, spring break has come and gone. Back to the daily grind. 

Today on the LCOM I have the inspiration station post. My main inspiration came from this quote I found on Pinterest:

via

I am also really liking this piece of art:

via

I was given the So Noted collection by Carta Bella - the textured patterned papers and the alphabet sticker page. These papers are pretty, soft colors with great neutral prints so this collection could really be versatile. You can view the entire collection HERE at the Carta Bella website.

Here's my page:

In addition to the Carta Bella patterned papers and sticker sheet, I misted (Heidi Swapp 'mustard' Color Shine) a Studio Calico mask to ground my two opposite corners of the page. I added some SC wood veneer and jewels. The skinny washi came in my April SC kits. The heart shaped enamel dots are by Prima. The anchor chipboard is by Creative Embellishments painted with some distress crackle paint.

Pop on over to the LCOM blog to see more details about the Carta Bella So Noted collection.