End of a Good Thing

It was a great, scrappy weekend, and here's the last of the weekend's creativity:This is a switch up of Sassy Lil Sendoff Sketch #3 from Sassy Lil' Sketches. I increased the size of the photos until they filled my entire 8x8 page and swapped the order of the large and smaller photos. Farewell to a great weekend and farewell to Sassy Lil Sketches.

Don't leave....I've only just met you...

Inspired Blueprints, one of my favorite scrapbook sketch websites has temporarily closed. In my search for a new site to fill the gap, I came across Sassy Lil' Sketches. Now they are also saying farewell. I hope this isn't a sign of something going wrong in the scrap world.... Before they leave, I have one last contribution to a website I was just starting to get to know and love....This is for the Scrappy Lil Sendoff Sketch #1 on Sassy Lil' Sketches. The photo of this LO doesn't do the glitter or foil paper justice. I switched it up by rotating the layout 90 degrees, increasing the size of my photo, and switching up the circles and embellies a bit.

So I will say farewell to Inspired Blueprints and Sassy Lil' Sketches the way I said farewell to my maiden name.....with the hopes and excitement for what is to come under something new.

Croptoberfest 2011 (Part II)

After about 12 hours of scrapping at Croptoberfest 2011, I came away with 4 completed layouts. That was my goal for the day, so I should be happy about that. I noticed some ladies are able to do an entire album in a day because of their pre-planning. That would be nice to feel that more was accomplished after a full day, but I'm okay with continuing as I have been since I enjoy the relaxation, fun, and randomness of scrapping with the approach I take on it.

The page above was my take on a sketch for Challenge #103 for Scrap Whispers. Compared to the sketch, my photo looks large because of my 8x8 page size. I tend to use a lot of bright colors & sparkle in my scrapping, so this page was an interesting change for me as I tried to make it more masculine. This page goes along with a series of other pages for a trip to the Oregon Coast with friends years ago.

Croptoberfest 2011

What a great day I had yesterday! My first ever big crop event. I had joined small groups for a day or afternoon of cropping, but never such a large event. What fun to be surrounded by energy and enthusiasm for one of my favorite hobbies. There were about 60 ladies who attended, and it was put on by a few Close to My Heart reps in the Tricities area. I snapped a photo of the scene:

(That's my space where the tan sweater is slumped over the back of the chair.)

My first work of creativity was inspired by Challenge #102 from Scrap Whispers. The challenge was to scraplift the layout shown below.

And here's what I came up with.

The main concepts I focused on keeping were the 2 photos in circles on the outside, a large circle connecting the two, the center titled, busy embellishing through the center, and journaling around the edge. This is such a beautiful layout by Scrap Whisper's Rosey, and I'm glad such an interesting layout was chosen for the challenge.

Mountain Biking-Mt St Helens

Justin & I were so busy with wedding preparations at the beginning of the summer, and after that special day in May, we were ready to go go go with activities for summer fun. One adventure we embarked on was camping & mountain biking at Mt St Helen's. We knew this would be more adventurous than our usual more flat, desert biking, but we had no idea just how intense this riding would be! The bike path was less than 2 feet wide with STEEP edges to either side of us. If something were to go wrong, broken bones would be the minimum result of sliding off the edge! The heat became very intense as the 1980's eruption of Mt St Helens took out the forest that used to surround it. Next time, we'll bring more water and lunch so we can do the full 30 mi loop rather than the short out & back that we did bike (but took a long time because of challenging terrain).

Scrapwhispers Challenge #101 provided a great color scheme to use for my "On the Edge" layout, and I used old sketch from Inspired Blueprints (Sketch #10). Sadly, IB has temporarily closed their website. The owner said she is taking a break, but the goodbye is not permanent.

Spokane Falls

I had some fun with sketch challenge #66 on Inspired Blueprints and a great color scheme challenge called "Minty Fresh" on Scrapwhispers.

I threw in a lot of enhancements with acrylic paint and distress ink. Proudly, the hobby title "scrapping" was really taken to heart, as all the patterned paper was leftover scraps.....and they both happened to be 2 sided so I used the reverse of what was used on previous layouts.

I have a pack of random quotes on vellum about family and friends. The quote I found in the pack couldn't be more perfect to describe my fiance!

4th of July in 3D

It's a few too many months early to talk about 4th of July, but I was inspired by a challenge on Scrapwhispers to create a page which uses something recycled..... And I had been saving just the perfect thing for inspiration like this..... The first 4th of July that Justin and I enjoyed together was spent in Portland. As we approached the river for the light show that night, 3D glasses were handed out. The glasses made for an interesting twist on an event that's becoming somewhat ordinary. (Who could call fireworks displays just downright ordinary or dull with all that boom and sparkle!)

Anyway, the awesome challenge was "Go Green & Recycle" by Scrapwhispers, and I caught up on another past sketch (#13) from Inspired Blueprints. The 3D glasses were a nice touch for the layout.

No Bites - No Worries

Free Fishing Weekend 2010 in Washington was June 12-13. We spent that time camping at Bumping Lake near Mt. Rainier. Picked up a cheap pole+tackle package for the trip, and we did cast a line a couple times at the lake, but didn't even have a nibble. Regardless, there was so much to enjoy about the perfect campsite with good friends.

Scrap Whispers' Challenge #88 was to dive to the bottom of the scrap stash and see what old unused items were down there. I found a whole package of old tags for "Outdoor Fun" and "Summer Fun" that just never seemed to work...until now! I also have a bottle of felt flowers that just never seemed to have the right place. Fortunately, the 2 coordinate very nicely and worked perfectly to bring out the essence of the camping trip. Also, back in 2004/05 my sister and I posed for an "old tyme" photo. The photo came with a mat that I had hidden away in my scrap stash but pulled out for the background on this layout.

Even the sketch used for this layout was dug up from the old stashes.... I've been meaning to go back and use some of the old sketches from Inspired Blueprints. Sketch #1 was just right to incorporate all these old items into the layout.

Unforgettable photo

One of the blogs I try to keep up with is by a very talented photographer and scrapper who created the perfect sketch to inspire this fun little Thanksgiving page.

Jill's blog also has fun stories and other great recommendations such as good reads. Just one example of her creativity - some time ago she wrote about a friend's wedding she did the photos for. She put some unforgettable examples on her blog entry. In particular, she took an extraordinary photo of the wedding rings - the reflection in one of the rings was the bride and groom!

A must try!

Hot Yoga cleanses, strengthens, refocuses, and enlightens your life. I think it's 1 thing everyone should try at least once in their life. Look up "Bikram Yoga" in your area and be sure to follow the advice for beginners given by the studio.

Tonight at my bikram yoga class, I may have witnessed a live contortionist. The contortions of her body, according to Bikram, are signs of a very fit and focused individual. She certainly seemed fit beyond imagination. I want to share this experience with friends, but it's a session to be selfish in, to extend all focus on one's self - inside and out. Try it if you can!

Right Reasons to Keep a Voicemail

Some of the smallest, weirdest things can have such a lasting impact! Many months ago, I saw the movie P.S. I Love You. Today I realized that this movie has had a small lasting impact on a decision I make almost everyday. With nearly every voicemail on my cell phone, I ask myself, "if this person died tomorrow, would this be a voicemail I want to hang onto just to be able to hear their voice again?". Such a morbid and odd thought to cross one's mind with each message, but it's a natural, imbedded routine now without really knowing how/why I started this habit.

At the heart of the matter, is there a better deciding factor between keepers & deleters? (Especially since they're automatically deleted after 14 days anyway.)

Shhh....another Whispers Challenge!

It's been a long streak of working days, and today will be another to add to that streak. This morning I thought I'd take some time for myself and finish this layout for Scrap Whispers Challenge #64-even though I should be at work already :-\ No matter how much stress I'm feeling or what's on my mind, when I hear Justin's voice, I'm all eyes and ears. So appropriately for this movie challenge, He has me at Hello...each and everytime.

Another participant in this week's challenge, Kelly, is giving away some scrap goodies on her blog. Check it out here!

And have a wonderful week! Next weekend is Memorial Weekend! California here we come :-)

Wild - Superman giggles karaoke

This is one of those times when you print the photos and wait for the right inspiration to scrap them. A sketch challenge from Pagemaps was just the thing for this collage of photos I had printed months ago! I had debated separating all the photos but the sketch challenge inspired me to keep it as a collage - good thing. The photo layout worked really well, and the little embellies add fun and memories to the set of photos.

From Seneca

"No good thing is pleasant without friends to share it," he said. Impressive considering he, Seneca, was a Roman philosopher. Who would've guessed that ancient Romans would rank friendship so high in their set of values. Most people would say this special bond plays a stronger role in modern times. In my life this is certainly true because my family is no longer near. Regardless of the friends vs. family debate, it's important to have trust, support, and others to share with close to home.

Hokey Pokey Heritage

There is much pride in heritage. Even if heritage is ages old and almost forgotten, some little nuances are bound to be passed on through the years. The Hokey Pokey happens to be apart of my German heritage and still heralded at the majority of family gatherings. With that, I had to share this little joke to get the day started:

"In Memoriam

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week. Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote 'The Hokey Pokey', died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started."

My Scrap Passion

The Scrap Whispers Challenge #62 is to scrap "Change" and change an element used on the page. This is "Through the Years We'll Change" based on Sketch #47 from Inspired Blueprints.

Title/word blocks were changed with brads, rub-ons, & the ever-trustworthy Sharpies . The chipboard elements were changed with gemstones & cardstock.

Ah those neices - neverending sources of adorable photos :-)

Busy Day Preparations

The agenda for tomorrow looks a little hectic.....meeting with managers & dentist visit in the AM, workload pressing heavily on the shoulders. Cinco de Mayo potluck & birthday wishes to a friend in the afternoon. Overdue run, work late, and Cinco de Mayo fiesta to attend in the PM. What better way to prepare for a busy day than to enjoy a late night of baking :-) Tonight I'm tackling Mexican Wedding Cakes & Tres Leches Cake.

The beauty of baking is the sweet treat that comes out at the end - and I don't mean the cake itself. I'm referring to the sense of accomplishment, and the feeling of having a product for others to appreciate from a mini project that can be done in just 1 evening in a state of relaxation!

Hey Twinkle Little Star, I Know Your Name

If/when I ever have an iPhone, the first app I will get is Google Sky Map. Haven't you ever wondered what the stars have been named and how they've been organized into constellations? Props to Google for creating an App for the iPhone and Droid that now you simply point your phone skyward on a clear night and can easily discover the names and constellations you are gazing at. Way to create a thoughtful and mind-expanding tool for those most beloved phones out there right now.

Hunting Happiness

With a little weight on the shoulders this morning and a 3rd day of mostly cloudy skies (when it's said the Tricities sees 300 days of sunshine a year), I sought out "happy clouds" in a Google image search for some pleasant inspiration. Bob Ross smiled at me in one of the results. Semi-superstition tells me that I need to finish work quickly today because fate has spoken through Google, and I should pick up my acrylics and brushes tonight.
Any description of Bob Ross ought to discuss his painting TV show that used to (and maybe still does) air on PBS. His way of teaching painting really was ideal for an average person wanting to paint. As a 6th Grader, I took a mini course on acrylic painting and made a rougher version of the painting shown next to him. This painting legend who passed away in 1995 had an amazing voice, like that of a good yoga instructor. It's just the soothing and relaxing type of voice to teach you in a good hobby and as you re-establish harmony in your life.

Spring indeed

Put a new spring in your step. Spring into action. Bounceback like a spring. It is certainly spring time, and there sure seems to be a reason for the season's name. After a long winter, no matter how much fun playing in the snow may have been, there's nothing like the sun's renewing warmth to come back to every March/April. Although we do not hibernate as humans, it's as though everyone is waking up with that renewed energy that was bundled up deep in our skin and minds as we bundled up in fleece and wool. Welcome back energy, I'm ready to feed from you and share with you.