I saw this kit by chance on the Sunshine Studio Scraps blog and followed the links to a give-a-way desk. I am so new to this forum, but the vibrancy and friendships there are very tangible!
I kept looking at the preview and was seeing layouts in my mind. It is beautiful. Look what comes in it:
11 solid and patterned papers,
a-z mixture of uppercase and lowercase alpha and 0-9 numbers
1 doodle bird, 1 bracket mat, 1 bracket, 2 branches, 4 buttons, 1 button tie, 1 chain, 1 acrylic circles, 2 flowers, 1 flower branch, 4 frames, 1 lace, 1 leaves, 2 bows, 2 swirl ribbons, 2 straight ribbons, 5 glitter splats, 2 stitches, 2 doodles, 2 swirl mats, 3 tags
that is a whole lot for a good price and if you go over to the blog (mentioned and clickable) there is coupon code for an extra 15% off!
So bebop over to the store and get it now...

Rain comes to Cali! Yahooooooooooooooooooo

It's raining, I mean raining for real! California winter rain...I could almost cry. I feel transported back to 7thgrade by the sounds and smells and it is a good thing! My goofy kids are out there with umbrellas! I love it...the cold is beginning to ache into the house! The cat is cuddled up on the footstool....she is quite happy!

Tony is making a fire in the fireplace...we have a big old stove! the kids are beyond excited...heck I am too!

Tomorrow being Halloween, we will take the kidlets around for a bit of trick-or-treat, then man our door with yummies! I made some bible study flyers to staple to the candy! I am quite proud of them. Tony is impressed with me, as I am getting faster! must be the speed scrappin'!

And tonite at scrapmatters....at 7pm Cali time, there is another speed scrap! I want to get my pumpkin carving pics in some order!

Here is the flyer for the bible study! Everything on it is from Freebie Haven~the Waterlo Project's new HUGE kit: In the Sleeping Orchard. This is just one of many quality kits. These kits are big, free and amazingly beautiful! Please go and pick it up and leave all of these kind ladies some love!

Dumb but oh so fun!

Do you have a friend that no matter how long it is since you have talked or seen each other, no matter how many miles are between you, when you hear her voice on the other end of the phone, you laugh and relax into a comfy position for a long conversation.?
I am really blessed to have a few ladies that fall into this category. Last night, I had way too much iced coffee, soda and chocolate cake and my eyes were unable to close...so I was catching up on some 'puter work. A forward from my dear Brittish friend, Heidi popped up. It was some forward that I don't usually read (sorry but true...ha ha) but I composed a new letter and the title was something like "I am up, can't sleep, what about you?" Bam, got a response back and this went on for 4 different times back to her, and then my phone rang (she has her own tone)...and I picked the phone up and we both just started giggling!
That giggle went on until 1:30 in the morning! aaaaaaaaaaaargh.....my dear sweet Tony came out about 12:30 and he thought I was crying....I was but it was from laughing so hard...I told him who it was, he smiled and laughed and turned around and went back to bed....more giggles!
I am so tired, but keep thinking about something silly one of us said last nite and I laugh all over again....
I have parent teacher conferences today and hopefully be able to make a Speed Scrap over at Scrap Matters! CAZ? you gonna be there? lol

speed scrap for my honey

I am so darn proud of myself, think I pulled a muscle patting myself on the back!

I made a double decker chocolate and cream cheese chocolate cake...notice I said chocolate two times...yep, it has double chocolate! It isn't real pretty, but it is in the fridge cooling....for bible study.

I got the laundry all done! My dinner is simmering, and I cleaned the living room including vacumning! This is wonderful!

I did all that so I could speed scrap! woo woo

I did a layout of my dear Tony, who took us all to a fishing derby at 5am and he spent the entire time, fixing rigs, undoing tangled lines and being an all around AWESOME dad! I love this layout, because he loves his kids and you can see it!

He is munching on cornnuts as I type smiling due to an amazing outreach! A backslider! Yahooooooooooo.....she and her boyfriend want us to come over Saturday evening....she will be in church sunday, can't come tonight due to prior commitment, and she lives in this HUGE apartment complex we have been going thru, that Tony wants to show a movie or something in!

I am hoping he gets a quick nap in the recliner...he has been up since 3am, already worked a shift at Toys, and will do it again tomorrow at Target...he is one amazing man!

Up early, so post early too!

Wednesday~

This is a full day with a twist. The kids are on 1/2 day, my Tony is at work til 10am and I have a Speed Scrap with ScrapMatters at 10am also.

I am going to post this and begin my fly around the house. We have bible studies here tonite, so I need to blow off the weekly dust in living room and pop a cake in the oven....gonna do a chocolate roll! (go girl)

I scrubbed the kitchen yesterday, so just a bit spit and polish for the bathrooms and I am kickin' it!

I didn't have to cook yesterday, as Taco Bell had free give aways for tacos, and we have alot of Taco Bells withing 5 mile distance, we had a blast going to them all and eating one taco! Then we drove back thru the drive thru and by the time we got home we were all stuffed! ha ha! Spectacular time with the family, lots of laughs! Took almost 2 hours to eat dinner!

Speed Scrap! This is my favorite, cause I get stuck in a certain mode or way in scrappin' and I try to do something out of my comfort zone with the instructions...and the lady (Cyndi) doing it today, lives right down the highway from me, in a neighboring town! That is just so cool to me....plus the participation prize (PP) is made by Britt! I can't get enough of her stuff!

I wanted to share with you a beautiful QP from one of the lovely ladies I have been able to meet thru being on a CT with Charlie's Designs. Her name is Caz and has been so welcoming to me over at Snap and Scrap and me being a newbie CT! Please go over to her beautiful blog; Color with Caryn (she makes the blog wear also) and pick up this QP and gaze at the layout that inspired it of her beautiful daughter! The QP is from the colab with Charlie, Mel and Vicki....which is still giving out beautiful parts today! Don't miss any of it! Charlie has her part up already too...I think I might be on Auzzie time...as I am up waaaaaaaaaaay to early today.

The laundry calls as does the coffee!!!

Tuesday Reader's Digest Update

I send a Pioneering Update most every Tuesday to keep those in the loop that are praying and supporting our venture here in Yuba City, California. My husband is a pioneering pastor. This means we come in to a city and begin talking with pretty much everyone we meet about the hope of Jesus Christ and establish a work (church). We have been here since Mar08.

So this week has been a wild one, Tony has been working early(4am-10am) a few days a week at ToysR-Us and also got called to Target and began that today...he is going to try and figure out if he can do both...or get more from one? It is kinda limbo right now, but luckily, they both have red shirts and tan pants...I look for the good in it! ha ha!
Bible study was just our dear C, and she is such an encouragement, even raving over my store bought snacks...
Outreach has been over and over incredible, talking with so many people. Tony has his maps and we are systematically going thru the whole city, door by door! I am over and over astounded at the folks that listen and discuss with us for long periods of time on their doorstep! We haven't seen the fruit of our labor, but know we will!
Sunday, A brought her family including her hubby! It was a great time! Tony preached a sermon on who the devil is and finished it with a recording of the champion by Carmen! It was so good!!!
We were honored to head to Oroville to be a support for their OUTRAGEOUSLY awesome music scene! It was so crisp and professional! The church was so supportive of each other and there was visitors and one of their teens (grew up in church, but making a stand to live for God) prayed with her first convert!!! Gotta love that!!
This afternoon we have another hope for a building! We so NEED one! The lady loves Tony and wants to work with us, so we still need prayers for this ...please please!
We hear rumors of a impact team from Alamogordo coming this way in the spring and have already begun praying for that!
so...thanks again my friends...hope you look thru my blog and see what a great time we are having!
The layout shown here is Abby, she is pretty excited, because she got her cast off and had lunch just her with Dad and Mom!

quick post

I won this! I am supposed to list 7 things I love:

1. God 2. Tony (hubby of 19.75 years) 3. My kidlets 4. friends 5. meeting people 6. chocolate 7. coffee

the next rule is to pass on to 7 people....I am going to break the rule, because I don't know alot of bloggers and so I will send it to my best friend in real life who has 3 blogs! But Christine this is for you! Please go and see her blog, as I taught her a tiny bit of Elements last Christmas time and now she is a Master Creative Team Member and even has a counter on her blog! You wild thing!

Thank you Charlie for thinking of me. I am honored that you included me in your award.

Okay, my youngest daughter, Anna-Bo was all snuggled up next to me the other night while I was unzipping Charlies part of the Putting on the Glitz colab. Oh, she loved it immediately, especially the pink glitter dress. So this afternoon, we scrapped together, and laughed and giggled. She is a sweet and modest little girl and we didn't want a strapless dress on her, so we did some scrap sewing and made a lovely shawl....oh what fun!

The next is done with a previous kit by Charlie, Paper Princess. I had done a layout with Anna in it, but it just didn't match the layout. I remembered this our first Christmas and the joy our little princess had in all her pink ruffles and lace! Now it is perfect!

Hope you enjoy these and go over to Charlies, and pick up the collab, and stay tuned for the Paper Princess, as it will be in Snap and Scrap stores soon!

We cut our pumpkins tonite, so my camera is full and I have a kit to scrap with from GingerScraps. I hope to get some scrap time in tomorrow evening! Go and pick up this awesome kit...it is all FREE and HUGE!

So, tonite, bed is early! OH also GOOD news, hubby got another JOB at TARGET!! Will blog more tomorrow, as the kids all got new glasses today! so brilliant!

Flitter kind of day!

Hubby works 4am to 10am M, W and Friday, and he gets up an hour early. He is very quiet, and I am not complaining, but I get up right after him...wierd and exhausting. I was up late trying to figure out the blog...
thank you for all the kind comments!
I started out plans for pantry, but laundry became a higher priority...it is getting chilly in the mornings, and our jackets were smelling a bit yuck! So I did a load of towels and our sheets before the kids got up. The boys seperated their laundry and started theirs, I reloaded the 2nd load for them and they will fold and put away when they get home from school.
Why is it, that my girls giggle before the sun comes up on Saturday and Sunday, but I had to drag them out of the bed this morning...their alarm went off and they got up and turned it off and went back to sleep!
Gabriel took a 20 minute shower before I realized he still wasn't ready to go to school! I even had to wake Eric up this morning! I am looking forward to getting that hour back next weekend!!
I cleaned out our coat closet, folded the towels and made the bed! woo woo, now I am pooped!
A dear friend from (her hubby is a Pastor also) Lake Havisu, Arizona called and we exchanged encouraging words, and laughed about our lives. It was a long phone call, and I am smiling because of it.
I did make dinner this morning, hey I am feeling better...I made Chicken Rigatoni...fancy word for speghetti sauce with whipping cream in it, chicken and rigatoni noodles...yummy and rib sticker...I keep nibbling at it...
I am going to take a shower and scrap a bit...I want to prep something for dear Charlie's colab...my Anna fell in love with the pink dress in her part....so I have to figure out how to use it!

Freebie Alert

***Don't miss Charlie's amazing new collab kit with Mel and Vicky....***

I don't know Mel and Vicky, I just stalk their blogs for the incredible things made and given away!!! I haven't seen their parts, but I will be checking in tomorrow to download it!

Go now to Charlies site for this amazing and sparkly kit...each day you can receive an addition to the kit, papers today, elements tomorrow and then an alpha that is just perfect for the kit!

The other ladies have a few more hours til it is officially Monday...Charlie is in Australia, so her part is up and running.

Here is a glimpse of what Charlie is offering:



Please remember that you pay nothing for this beautiful kit, and the time it takes to load 4share and download is plenty to fill in a little thanks to these ladies. You know how good it feels when someone puts some love on your uploads in gallery's...think how good the designers of the kits feel when you show the love? An added kindness, make a layout and pop back over and let them know the kit was used! I challenge you to spread the love!

Trying and Playing with blog...

I need your patience, I am trying to change the look of my blog...
and so thankful for the helpful tutorials over at Ally Browns....she made the "blog wear" from Charlie (my boss) at Charlie Designs...
I am having a hard time with the header, and not liking how the beautiful work of Ally's looks with my colors...so I am playing and it is gonna take more brain power than I have in my head tonite!
Ally makes tons of beautiful things to put on your blog...and you can also win a just made for your blog if you leave a comment!
okay, eyes are tired...

added when I should have been in bed: I finally got it...love the look! Good thing, because it is staying for a bit....hope to have you pop in again!

kept workin' it...

I played with the pumpkin layout for a while...

cause it wasn't sittin' right with me...

I needed a date and location for me...so I added the fence and a tag in birds mouth with date and the Bishops Pumpkin Farm label on the large pumpkin and changed title...

geesh...but I like it now and then it will get printed!

Would love to hear which one you like better and why...

Speed Scrapper Pumpkin Picker!

this afternoon, Alamogordo was a whole lot closer. Christine hosted a speed scrap on ScrapMatters. You have one hour to get the instructions, which come every 10 minutes, then at the top of the hour, you have 1 hour and 15 minutes to finish up and save to upload the layout to the gallery at the website and post on the forum. (that is my hardest part). The first time I did it, Christine was the host, I had to call her on the phone for instructions and I called the wrong number and got Robert instead and he was laughing at our scrapping mania!

So today, Christine gave some fun instructions.

Instructions for SS #37

1. Choose 3 papers. Two solid and one patterned.

2. Choose at least two pictures; place them in a row. Any direction is fine.

3. I’m telling you this now, so you have time to work with it…Your title needs to be creative. Use at least one alpha. Have fun with your title.

4. Add some string

5. Add some kind of stitching.

6. Add something from nature…example: flowers, trees, leaves, stars, etc.

7. Put an initial somewhere

I got all focused on #6 and went gaga on nature!!! but it was fun and neat to have a friend so far away scrappin' also!

one more post for the day!

I have been cleaning and scrappin'! Always a good combination! My house is clean and I have memories on paper!

We went to feed the ducks at the lake and Gabriel just was all on his own, inventing a boat from a leaf, and trying to get a mast made from a stick...he ran all over the park and I was so excited to catch him in thought as he tried to sail his little boat!

My Dad

Being here in California means my parents are much closer. An hour and half from my doorstep to theirs in Napa. But the summer puts them at the coast a bit longer away. We went this summer and spent the day with them. My dad is always someone I have admired. He laughs, loves to cook, loves feeding people and gets upset at stupidity from people when it is on purpose. We are alot alike! I watch him when he doesn't know it. He loves doing what he is doing!

I did this layout for Charlie's new kit, Shabby Old Blue. I enjoyed looking at the picture of my dad and me...because like the journalling says, My Dad Loves Me....and I know it!

Silhouettes done by me!

Oh my!

I am so excited! I have wanted to do this with my kids since we first got them, but I hate the thought of making the shadow, having them not move for a long time and then having this huge bulbous charlie brown tracing of a head! I was inspired today in a scrapbooking magazine, they did the light bulb tracing and I thought, hey, I have a digital camera, photoshop program and I can fill a bucket with black and pour it in a cut out picture.

I lined the kids up on the wall and stood in same place and took 5 or so pics of each, trying to get a natural pose. I so love them! I scrapped them immediately! then it took me HOURs to get the little elements just so I like them! I am on a creative team for Charlie Hudson. She has the most user friendly kits. I make 3 layouts easy with each one...just so fast.

I am doing these in the 8 1/2 x 11 size, because I will print this one and it is Christmas for family!!

so here it is....my precious children....

Oh and stay tuned...because Charlie has been busy and a new kit is coming out Friday...expect a lovely shade of blue layout next! It is fab! <---ha ha, I sound so Californian, Fab darling!!!

I am off to this huge pumpkin farm tomorrow with the girls and their 3rd grade class! I am really excited, and will of course have my camera clicking away! I also have fun news!

Heidi and Roger Napier (dear friends that Pastor in Portland, Oregon) are coming to visit for a whole week in November!! This is grand news as I last saw them 3 years ago after their youngest daughter Abigail was born. I am very buzzed about some late night cups of tea and chats with my friends!

So enjoy the day! I have got to get to my bed!

For the millions that come thru my blog!

Hello all you masses of people! You too Christine and Michele!! lol

I am really enjoying a new avenue of scrapping. I finally broke down and loaded the CS5 on my big puter. WOW! Actions and these amazing things that happen when I hit one little button! I transform an ordinary picture into a collage or torn ribbons or an old vintage picture...I am amazed and loving learning. I have had this program for 9 months and been scared of it! I will admit, I do the actions and fancy stuff on it, save it and play still on my little elements! ha ha

I want to do different things with my scrapbooks...original thoughts and make new stuff...so I am on the right path.

My task master (ha ha) boss over in Australia has repackaged a kit she made and gave away to a ton of folks, so if you missed it when it was free it is available again at Snap and Scrap Shoppe. Here is a preview of it:

I have done a few layouts with it, funny, both have been of my dear little Anna, it just captures her personality... I have another one I am playing with for a heritage layout over at Stone Accents Scrap. It is a neat challenge, as you actually go to a website and search 1930 Census records! I found both great grandparents... Tony just fixed my scanner (uploaded things to make it work) so I have a few envelopes of old pictures my mom gave me. I want to scrap a few old ones for her and myself!

If you would like a taste of the Wedding Treasure, Charlie has a lovely freebie available thru her blog. She has a ton of freebies and is a sweet woman who has entrusted me with her creations. Hope you enjoy her work as much as I do!

On the homefront...life is good, we the family played flag football today. Tony, Gman and Abby on one team and Mr. E, Anna and me on the other....Yes...I gloat, but our team kicked their booties...and the laughter rang thruout the neighborhood...I laughed so hard at the intensity the boys (including my dear Tony) have. Anna jumps up and down and says, lets plan guys...instead of huddle...and instead of hike, she says on your mark, set go...she gets so excited about the ball she drops it and Abby just likes to pull the flags off! It was hilarious! A few neighbors were out in lawn chairs enjoying the cool evening and entertainment!

Tony and I went on outreach this afternoon, his work schedule has been a bit wonky so we wanted to go (without all the kids), we had a great time! Two very open ladies...one with 1 year old and so open it was just awesome..we talked for 1/2 an hour at least, and another is a MARINE wife (hubby in Iraq and she is due to have baby number 2 in 4 weeks)! I really expect to see them both this Sunday! I was pretty hyped up!

So I am off to bed!

playing most of day!

Tony worked again today, and my house was pretty put together, so I did a bit of sprucing up for tonites bible study. Then sat on the big puter in the freshly cleaned (from yesterday's deep cleaning and rearranging) dining room. It was beautiful outside, so the huge sliding glass door (8foot wide, 4 foot door opening) was open and a lovely breeze. The cat kept going in, then out, so I just left the screen open a bit for the spastic thing.

I did 3 layouts, and I wanted to share a funny one now and will add the others later!

This is our Gman enjoying icecream on his actual birthday!

a day alone!

Tony has a test in Sacramento (2hour test) and the ride there and back, I had the whole afternoon all by myself...

I was very proud of myself, did 3 loads of laundry, scrubbed the wood floors and did a fun layout! I had these two challenges from two different scrap web sites mixed in my mind and flubbed one, but the other went fine! I had such a grand time taking the pictures and fiddling like a real Crime Scene Investigator!

I thought you would like to see the final scene! I have a few mess ups, I will have to fix before the final print, the 1st i in addiction needs to come forward and the label on the end doesn't have text! (it is supposed to be "found on newspapers").

My eyes are fine, I went to the eye doctor a few months ago, because I was getting a bit worried it was time for all the time glasses...he laughed at me and said I was getting old, he could give me bifocals, but the top would be clear glass and cost about $200! I laughed back at him and went to the Dollar Tree and Target and spent $10 on 10 pair of glasses! So as you would expect, they mostly get piled all up in one place and I can't find any of them....

This is the kit and my all time favorite layout with it...the vote is out, and most like changing faces with my Abby thru the years...but I really like this one.

I did it for a challenge on ScrapMatters....I will upload the original picture that started it rolling..

So on the home front, house clean, bathrooms left and a quick cut across the lawn...

our lawn mower shot itself (sounded like it) last week so it was in the shop, but it is home now and needs to be used BADLY.

Did a bit of thrifting today and got a RED purse, I love it! It is way smaller than my big ol' black backpack, but I will have to purge somestuff!

The kids are on their way home, Tony went to get them, so I had a minute before the rush of energy they bring with them...I need another glass of iced coffee!

new Layouts from Charlie's Kit!

Here they are...I love this kit...having a blast with it...wanted to show it can be used for boys too!

I have another thought tossin' around in my head......

but I have to clean my house! ha ha

gosh don't ya' hate it when life gets in the way of scrappin'?

Seriously, I do love cleaning my house, especially when we have bible study tonite! Tony and I went on outreach yesterday, first time, just him and me. Life is really getting more of a schedule. It was nice to have an adult to chat with on outreach...as it has been us split with 2 kids each the whole time!

Tony talked with a young lady with a 4 year old on Monday and she said she will be at bible study tonite! I am off to write a late Tuesday update...sorry about it being late, I thought about it right before bed and my brain was gone!

Scrappin' with the Big Girls now...

welll..........

I have been so enjoyin' scrappin' our life, learning new things and playing with pictures and all. I bought my first real kit last week and was amazed how much comes in a kit! I mean I have a ton of freebies....but they are all just appetizers to the main dish!

I read that other folks are on creative teams....they create layouts for designers (the big big ladies of scrappin'). I know my dear friend Christine is on a few...and her layouts are amazing!

I was following another designer (new to design) in a contest over at Stone Accents Scrap (SAS), she is giving away these huge kits that are just overwhelmingly beautiful, but even better, able to be used in scrapbooking. Sometimes the kits look good, but too me I can't figure out how to lay it out!

So I down loaded all her stuff...voted for her and thought she would win...she didn't. But............she goes to another site I go to...called Snap and Scrap and she put a call out for creative team....I love her stuff, what do I have to lose...

I emailed Charlie (actually Sharlene Hudson ) and talked like me and showed some of the layouts I have done...she liked it and now I am creating for her! Six other ladies, some from South Africa, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia! Isn't the world so small?

WOW! I did a layout this morning that was just fun to do! I have to wait

for the store to carry the kit and all, but it is fabulous...

So...her store is at Snap and Scrap and to celebrate she is having a HUGE sale....so pop over this Friday and see what I am talking about!

did you guess?

I have been fiddle farting around waiting..it is too late for this one to be up...
but go here and look for me.

exciting news..hmm

gosh, now I am hoping you guys will be as excited as I am...
the kids were like, "cool mom, can we go play?"
I have to wait just a little bit longer to tell others...
but I am excited....

Exciting announcement to come!

I have some fun things in my personnal life to share....
but I have to wait...
but I am pretty excited!!!
woo woo