Top 10 in '12!

Monday, December 31, 2012

Well, I didn't think I would have time to do this post,
but it really is fun to look back at everything I have done over the last year.....
A little encouragement and hope for the New Year!

I have definitely done more scrapping this year than all the
years I have been doing it put together!  Woohoo!
Probably explains my creative cravings been more satisfied and the
fact that every time my children see a camera, they automatically paste
a smile on their face...or cross their eyes and stick out their tongue...

Anyway, here are my top 10 favorite layouts from the past year!
( in no particular order since apparently that would involve my computer to do what I ask, oy!)
Thank you for all your sweet comments and stopping by my little world...
Happy New Year!

tAToOos & TEAMWORK ( June )

ikea ( September )

loving life. ( July )

ALL GROWN UP ( August )






COLOR outside THE LINES ( October )

love. that's all. ( September )

relax.breathe ( June )
the gathering ( July )

twinkle TWINKLE ( December )











ScrapROOM { In Progress }

Monday, December 31, 2012

One of my New Years Resolutions is to finally, or at least start
to finish up moving everything into my new craft room and getting it
organized...I had these photographs taken, and a video too, such as it is,
and then Shimelle did her last class of the year about scrap spaces.

So much of what she said are things I have heard before or known, but sometimes
it takes hearing it again, especially in a new place, for it to really make sense.
I said that having everything within arms reach makes you more likely to
use it, and even though I have a good memory, most of the time, I can't always
think of the perfect embellishment that might be hiding in a drawer just waiting to
be discovered!  And instead I will pick up something that I can see...
Shimelle's point was that knowing the way you scrap helps you organize
things into the easiest, most time efficient way to be able to use those things.
  

{ Overall view from the entry door...only one window since I am in the basement.
Just finished projects on the shelves and photos or idea on the magnetic board. }

And I am definitely one who needs to see what I have to remember.
At the end of last year, I went thru all our Christmas cards and sorted them but
year in order to do layouts that used the ones I liked best and closest friends
and organized them all into neat little folders to be scrapped and then totally
forgot about them, until a few months ago when I began moving into my new room.
So, now I totally forgot all about that project because I thought I was being organized!


{ Left corner with printer cart, Silhouette and rolling carts from Ikea }

I keep all my Silhouette mats, blades and tools in the top drawer and photo paper
and other house files below.  The rolling cabinet on the right with drawers
has adhesive,stamp block and ink, distress inks and
the bottom file in for Thickers, letter stickers and masks...one day scraps.


{ Main work island made from 2 "Alex" drawer cabinets from Ikea, 
tabletop from Ikea but built up to counter height by my husband! }

The drawers hold punches, borders punches, sticker sheets and die cuts,
tags and jopurnaling cards.  A couple drawers have the latest collections
from some of my favorite manufacturers that I want to use before I
forget I have them...and a couple hold just kits from a couple different clubs.

This is my main work area and so I have the spinner on top with glue pens,
scissors and other tools, bowls for little bits I can't bear to throw out and
a tray for current projects or kits I am working with at the moment!

When my husband built the table top up for me it left a gap that runner the length
of the desk on both sides of a support beam.  It is the perfect height and place
to store paper towels, baby wipes, paper trimmers and a sketchbook or two.


{ Right corner shelving with inks, washi, wood block and clear stamp
storage on shelves.  A Clip it Up in the corner with labels and stickers on it. }

I have two cabinets with 5 cubbies on each side of this long top that runs the length
of the back wall.  They are actually part of a wine storage cabinet that used to
be in our kitchen.  They are perfect for some little storage jars that hold blank
tags, twine, tiny wood letter stamps and lots of other things!


Corner storage shelf that has my the white cubbies from my old scrap room on it.
These are all from Michael's and hold patterned papers that are lonely, transparencies,
chipboard, projects that were planned and neatly put away and forgotten...oops.
And buttons, paints, embossing stuff in the drawers.
The shelf below has idea books, stationary, and blank note cards and envelopes.


The Expedit shelf from Ikea which has just finished projects on top,
cardstocks, ribbon, refills for adhesive and photo boxes and lots of
stuff that hasn't found a home yet!  The bottom row are albums which
are becoming increasingly full!  I need at least a day to go thru all of them,
but I don't scrap things chronologically so it seems silly to do it now when
I will have to do it again later.  That is procrastinator Jenni talking, well typing...

So that is it!
A continuous work in progress but my little piece of heaven on our house!
Thank you to my wonderful husband for moving his drums and letting me take
over our office.  And for all the help building and replacing and listening to me ramble
on about paper and lighting and accessibility and stuff I am sure he would rather not hear!

the fever! (you+me)...My Mind's Eye

Sunday, December 30, 2012


This is some of the My Mind's Eye collection 'Love Me' and some 
Lost & Found sets...lots of bits & pieces laying around!
Obviously not Christmasy, but it went so well with Sofia's new robe
and since I had used MME stuff for the envelope I made for this gift, 
I thought I should use it here as well.  
I also used their sketch for the December Challenge found here:

Yes, we bought Sofia tickets to see Justin Bieber.  Her first concert, in just
a couple weeks...I am sure she is counting down the days.  It is pretty exciting.
I told her we could sell the tickets for a lot more and put that money in
her college account, but I got that "are you really crazy, Mommy?" look that 
she has perfecting lately...Anyway, that is the story of this page!


I remember my first concert, not nearly as exciting as this, and not nearly
as expensive either...but I want her to remember it and hope it is something 
special she will remember that we did together, when she has not only perfected
that look, but all the other tween/teen angst looks of sarcasm that feel like
they are seriously around the bend!!  Ugh...sorry, dark turn.


Anyhoooo.....
I feel like I haven't been on here in a while but I have been scrapping lots, 
just can't show any of it yet!!  Which means some exciting things in the future! :)

I love this time of year, time to clean up and clear out and make resolutions!!
I am going to be super positive and say this year is going to be fantastic!   
I have both kids in school, am 40 years old and have some serious determination to reach my 
g o a l 
And to kick all that off, we have a Bieberconcert to go to! 

( Hope he doesn't spit up on stage, that would totally put
a damper on my daughter's first concert experience...)



Dec 25...Scrapbook Circle Sketch Challenge

Saturday, December 22, 2012


I have loved being the Guest Designer for Scrapbook Circle this month.  
Despite all the busyness and craziness that occurs this time of year, I got so much accomplished! 
I made SIX layouts with the December Kit and still have enough for at least two more!  

Also, I have been so behind documenting some of our past Christmas
photos that I have put at least a starting dent in my pile.

Although this LO was not for my official GDT work, 
it was the for December Sketch Challenge and from their blog and 
I had already printed this photo for possible use.  
The sketch was perfect for a messy pile of papers stacked up as a photo mat too.  

Here is the link to their Challenge post:


The tint from the photo does look a little off and I tried to change it a bit, 
but the original photo had a very pink hue.
We have a white tree and Sam had a cold so his nose was red and swollen...


To: Sam - From: Santa...Scrapbook Circle Guest DT

Thursday, December 20, 2012



Not to be mean, but I think it is hilarious when Santa leaves practical
things in the kids' stockings, like toothbrushes, floss and band aids!
The kids, not so much.  

I just happened to be snap happy when Sam was digging into his stocking 
last year and captured this exact series of photos in order from his excitement
and anticipation, to confusion and then realization that this was not a 
matchbox car or candy, but band aids...really cool solar system band aids, but...


Anyway, I did this LO as the Scrapbook Circle Guest Designer for their
One Item Wonder challenge - to use their printables in a page.
All the Polaroid frames, the tag and all the banners at the top came from 
the December printable.  I had this idea to print it out onto something other
than plain white cardstock, so I went with a really pale neutral tan, then kraft, 
then back to white cardstock.  So that accounts for all the "MERRY"
banners being different hues.  I decided not to waste them!


The titles below the pictures could not have been more fitting!

I could be THE most productive procrastinator!!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012


So...instead of procrastinating by catching up on Homeland or Vampire Diaries, 
yes, I am a teenager at heart in the midst of my procrastination fit...
I decide to clean out closets, reorganize photo folders, 
make little music videos of my kids photo shoots...

You get the point...I need to feel like I have accomplished SOMETHING,
even if it is a million miles away from what I set out to do...for example,
I think this is my 3rd post today...?  
You think I wouldn't have a to-do list a mile long!  

But, I can't watch the news or get on the Internet because it is totally depressing to me right now.  
And I have read this in a book the other day...
"Coffee...do stupid things faster, with more energy!"...
that about sums up my days this week.  And it is only Tuesday!!



So, here goes...I have been messing around with some features on my computer
and started putting together little videos.  Amateurish...yes!
Make me want to squish my children until they beg me to stop...yes!

O Washi Tree, O Washi Tree...

Tuesday, December 18, 2012



I made this card really quickly with some washi and that gold 
foil dotted vellum...The vellum was actually from some of the scraps 
that I refuse to throw away, I told you!...
 {The gold doesn't show up that well with the camera. }
Punched a star from the new AC glitter tape...

A couple Christmas cards...Little Black Dress Kit December

Tuesday, December 18, 2012



Just a couple cards I made with the LBD December kit...
I am on a confetti/vellum kick right now, a little late but I like it 
behind a title instead of just on its own...


I used the Studio Calico starburst mask to make the card base and then
cut out a circle, covered it in vellum to make a "peppermint"...
Could be Christmas or possibly even Valentine??


Closeup of the "WiSH" ticket...

twinkle TWINKLE...Scrapbook Circle & Sunday Sketch

Monday, December 17, 2012


This photo was taken our first Christmas we were in our house.
The kitchen wasn't finished being remodeled because you can see
the unfinished sheet rock behind Sofia...
So, come to think of it, there might have been sheet rock dust mixed
in with the flour of our sugar cookies!?  It must have worked out OK...
I don't remember anyone getting particularly ill! ;)


This is all from the Scrapbook Circle December Kit, which I have been lucky
enough to play with as the Guest Designer this month.  

Except for the gold glitter tape, which is a revelation in crafting!!
I read an e-card on Pinterest that said something like glitter is the 
herpes of the crafting world...you cannot get rid of it.
Not this tape by American Crafts!  It doesn't come off at all!  Love it!


I also used Studio Calico's Sunday Sketch from 12.16 which is probably 
why this is a fairly simple and uncomplicated LO for me...
It was a great sketch, I didn't want to change it too much.


I sewed a little pocket at the bottom of this gold dotted vellum and put 
some confetti and the snowflake scraps from a previous project in it...
It also gave me a pocket above it to tuck my journaling tag into.


I love that gold dotted vellum!
There are several versions of this product on the market right now,
but I love this one by Crate so much because the dots are a little
random and overlapped in a couple spots.
 I will be so sad to see it go...

my top 5...My Mind's Eye

Monday, December 17, 2012


The December Challenge at My Mind's Eye is to scrap a wish list...
That is easy, but after spending the weekend alternating between wanting 
to hear about the tragedy in Connecticut, (only when my kids weren't around)
to not being able to hear anything else about not just it, but the news in general.

It was so upsetting that I wanted to go pick my children up from 
school immediately and start home schooling...
of course, that wouldn't solve the fact that our world is full of violence.  
Living in a bubble wouldn't change that.

Here is the MME blog post:

But it feels kinda silly for me to drivel on about papers and glitter...
so I'll just say that not only are the families of those killed in that horrific
tragedy on my prayer wish list, but I wish for the other children, 
teachers & really everyone in that town to be able to find a way to 
move forward and heal themselves, together...


The point is, after Friday, my wish list got paired down pretty easily.
My family and their health and happiness is really my only wish.







GoofY meet sofia.

Saturday, December 15, 2012


I did this layout for the Color-Me-Scrappy Challenge #20...
Beautiful colors...I don't have a lot of purple even though it is one
of my favorite colors!  Here is their post:
http://color-me-scrappy.blogspot.com/2012/12/challenge-20.html

It was nice to get a little reprieve from all the Christmas themes and
colors...not that I don't love those, I do.
I love Christmas, more so now with children.  They make it magical!


These pictures however, are not magical...they are goofy and fit Sofia's
personality perfectly.  She loves to make people laugh, especially her brother
and her Daddy...and they usually think it is hilarious!

I just love that she doesn't mind looking silly or self-conscious about being a goofball.
Maybe that will come later, but for now, it is funny to watch!  And photograph.
Didn't realize I had so many goofy photos until I downloaded my phone pics after
my son's birthday party...Just happened to have a bunch of silly pictures of her
all within the span of a couple weeks...


I love the new American Crafts glitter tape!!  So cool...and the new
Evalicious stamps are wonderful...they would fit great in a stocking...
hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...ahem.

Sadly, I don't think Santa reads my blog posts or even knows what Evalicious is...


SANTA CLAUS HAS COME TO TOWN...Little Black Dress Kit December

Friday, December 14, 2012


Oh, how I love metallics right now!!
I never used to be blingy and glitzy, but I love it all now.
Especially this time of year.  I think it goes well with Holiday themes.



This was a layout for the Little Black Dress Kit Club for December and
was a bit of a challenge for me.  I loved that gold polka dot vellum SO much
I didn't want to do anything to cover it up or take away from
it whatsoever...But, I didn't think it would be a very good page
to just have a blank sheet of cardstock and that vellum on top.


The kit also came with this vintage Christmas advertisement that was
part of the ephemera baggie that was so unique!




heartwood...Little Black Dress Kit - December

Wednesday, December 12, 2012


I had seen some journaling styles similar to this,
mostly on mixed media works and really wanted to try it...
not sure if it was too successful as far as journaling.
It isn't very easy to read, but that really wasn't my point.

There were so many trees that had been planted when our house was built,
 that were now upwards of 50 years...when we moved in almost 6 years ago.
Beautiful, large oaks and hickory trees....
one enormous red oak in the back that was unfortunately about 2/3 dead,
dropping limbs on the roof and in the yard,
to the point where someone suggested it was actually dangerous to let
the kids play out back knowing it was feasible that is could fall and hurt someone...


We had to dip into our savings to cut a tree down that large,
and that dead was dangerous and ridiculously expensive!!
I must be getting old because I keep referring to the fact (mostly to my kids)
that some things cost more than my first car these days!

We kept all the wood, even though at the time we didn't have a fireplace...
This is our first fall/winter with a fireplace and it is very exciting!
We love a wood burning fire and the kids are excited that Santa
can finally come down the chimney, not sneak in the back door to
our stockings appropriately hung on the bar!!


So....Shawn has been cutting into the enormous
wood pile that was this majestic tree and the other day showed me
this piece that was part of the heart...
it is unusual too because there must have been a branch
off the side and you can see where it tied into the trunk.
It was such a gorgeous color and so fascinating for the children
to count the rings that I thought it was definitely worthy of recording.
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