totally inspired

So I think that buying Elsie's book was a very good thing. It has inspired me to do some layouts and I'm feeling scrappy again! (Thanks Elsie!) I did challenge #1 - Work Those Words - as a layout using photos of my nephew, Evan, playing with his older brother's bike helmet. Totally fun doodling and cutting things out! This one is called "Happy".

I did challenge #2 - Focus on One Photo - using a black and white photo of my boyfriend with his drum set. It's called "The Life of a Drummer" and the journaling is about how not-so-glamorous being a drummer can be. I wanted to give it more of an industrial/grungy feeling, so I cut the gears out of a piece of patterned paper (and used a circle punch too) and used some of these screw brads I had lying around. He was very flattered! :)

Okay, gotta go prepare for a class I'm teaching tonight. So psyched because we will be using the new American Crafts line of paper and ribbons!

10 ways you rock

Renee and I drove up to Goffstown, New Hampshire yesterday (it's after midnight as I start this post so it still feels like Sunday, but really it's already Monday ... so technically it was yesterday) to the B and E Scrapbooking store to take a class taught by Elsie Flannigan. Elsie is one of the biggest scrapbooking celebrities right now and her style is very funky and full of spunk.

We had a fun time working on the project - an 8"x8" album titled "10 Ways You Rock". Renee did hers about (and for) her Mom with some adorable photos from her childhood. Since I have a gazillion albums and layouts about my boyfriend, I did mine about my nephews instead (not that I don't already have gazillion layouts about them too, but ...). We used a couple pieces of chipboard, Scenic Route paper and stickers, ribbon, puffy paint, buttons, and our own handwriting. This is what my cover ended up looking like:

I really like how the cover turned out actually, I have to admit that. You can see the rest of the album in my ScrapSupply gallery. Elsie will be posting her sample album for the class on the 2Peas website in her gallery sometime soon, too. The class was very fun and she is so cute in real life! Got a couple of photos with her, too, plus one of her signing my copy of her new book, "52 Challenges"


Renee, Elsie, and me (kinda blurry)


I think I made her feel tall!


Can't imagine how many times she has signed her name by now!


The store bought her a cake - and she does rock!


My work space - can you tell what my favorite color is?!

Very fun time had by all and such a delight meeting Elsie in person!! :)

Now it's time for some zzzzzz's!

rain rain, go away

Bummer. It looks like there is a good chance that the South End Open Market will be rained out tomorrow. It sucks because I've been working till the wee hours of the morning during the past couple of weeks to get cards and stuff made in time to have a decent inventory. I suppose the good side of this is that I have a lot of new cards and designs. I'm going to see if I'll be able to sit with my friend Stephanie on a make-up date in the near future, and will post that info here.

Oh and I forgot to post this a couple of weeks ago (seriously, I am so scatter-brained lately) ... I won a contest on ScrapSupply.com and my prize was a font designed by the oh-so-talented Kelly Purkey named after me! Check it out:

Pretty cool, huh?! It's kind of short and pudgy, like me too! LOL Anyway, I'm a total font ho, so adding this one to my collection was a no-brainer. Hee hee!

(Totally geeky, computer-related comment here, but I can't figure out how to make it so that the photos are within the text on this blog. I used to be able to do something but I can't remember how I did it. If you know how to do this, could ya please let me know?!)

double dose of love

Spent some time with my two nephews last week while on vacation and had a double dose of fun, love, and good times with the little tikes. They're getting so big!


We enjoyed time in the pool, face painting, carousel rides - even Chuck E. Cheese! Not to mention wrestling and head-butts from the little guy. I wish we lived closer so I could see them more often and watch them grow, but that's why I cherish all the time I can see them.















Actually, I'm quite pathetic. And emotional. I cried on the plane before taking off because it is always so hard to say goodbye to them. I mean, it takes a day or two for them to really get used to me being around, and then I have to leave a couple of days later, just when things get good and cozy. If I won a huge jackpot sometime soon, I'd definitely get us a house near the boys so that I could see them more often. Where's that jackpot-winning-fairy when you need her, eh??

Anyway - on to reality - I should really be working my butt off making cards and things for the upcoming South End Open Market event on August 20th (which I found this super cute picture of by the way). Sadly, I'm sitting on my butt in front of the computer instead. Sigh.

mark your calendars!

Oh me oh my, is it August already?! My my, how time just flies! Well our trip out to Mackinac Island, Michigan for Maryea and Tim's wedding was a fun adventure. I went to the butterfly museum on the island with Mary one day and we saw some of the most beautiful butterflies. This one was my fave. It's amazing what nature can produce.

And before I forget, I just want to say hello to those of you out there in the big, wide world that visit my blog! Yes, I have a counter/tracker on this site and I can see that someone in Wisconsin visits nearly every day and a couple of spectators out in Japan and France! I'm sorry for the lack of posts these days, but welcome nonetheless! And hey! Post a comment or two and say hello!

Lastly, just want to put the bug in your ear that I'll be participating in the South End Open Market on Sunday, August 20th. So please stop on by and check out booths of local, talented artists and say hello! It's kind of a first come, first booth deal so I'm not sure exactly where I'll be. But look for a really short Asian girl with a bunch of greeting cards and you're more than likely going to spot me! I'll be selling cards, journals, and the like with my friend Stephanie of 2nd Bedroom Studio. I'll also be selling some cards designed by Renee of Ne Pie Paper, so stop by and check it out! It's from 10 am to 4 pm.

Hope to see you there!