Here's lookin at me kid

Clean and Simple

I set aside the gesso and spray inks for this one.  I suppose there's still a bit of texture, with the felt MM letters and, of course, wooden letters.  Oh, and recognize the background? It's the white version of the flocked dots paper.  I think it's from Doodlebug.  Anybody know for sure?  I found it at Archivers.

The paper I used is all Hambly Studios.  I really love the woodgrain overlays.  In fact, I think their woodgrain papers are my absolute favorite scrapbook paper of *all* time.

 
For embellishments, I cut out a little bicycle from the Hambly bicycles overlay and used a button.  People, this is a big deal.  I'm starting to use embellishments.  :)

Great news- all of the papers are designed and awaiting their press check next week!  I'm pretty excited!  And other great news- I'm getting a new car on Monday!  I spared you the drama of how my car died last week.  It was oh so frustrating and very sad.  And, of course, I was 1.5 hours away from home when it happened.  But anyways... new things are on the horizon!

Trucking Along.

Today my kids' (that I nanny) mom will be working from home.  So that means, I will be too!  Next week I will be sending out my paper designs for a press check, and then once I'm sure everything looks fabulous, they'll be off to press!  It should take about a week from that time, and then I will assemble the mini album kits which will be available for purchase.  I've decided to go in a different direction with the kits, for several reasons.  Probably the biggest reason is because it has taken longer than I expected, and I'd prefer a vintage fall vibe more than the mod summer look of the previous designs.  Also, because I'm not a vendor, I can't affordably stock my kits with other manufacturer's items, such as letter stickers or cardstock.  But I will suggest items that you can purchase that will coordinate nicely with my designs.  Here's what the little kit will consist of:

10 sheets of exclusive patterned papers designed by me
1 6"x6" wooden mini album
10 vintage buttons for embellishments
2 nice sized vintage fabric pieces
and possibly 2 pieces of kraft cardstock and a bit of lace.

The paper designs won't be sneaked on my blog until about a week before the kits are available for purchase, but they are all brand new designs that are inspired by vintage textiles.
So, that's what I'm working on finishing up today!  But for now, here's a layout I made at the SIS event a couple of weeks ago.  I used vintage wallpaper that I bought at the SIS boutique.  Cuuuute!

 
Thanks, Jaimie, for the embellishments I used on this page!  :)

Fresh inspo, ya'll!

I think I've yet to get the TN out of my blood, from SIScon last week.  I'm blurting out ya'lls every now and then.  It's kinda fun, eh? (that one's for Sandy.)

Speaking of fun, let me take a moment to revel in the fact that I have such a handsome husband.  He makes scrapbooking fun.  Or should I say, funner.  Is funner a word?  I'm always mixed up on that one.

I found a new scrap love this past June.  Oh so inspiring and fresh!  She probably isn't new to you, but she is to me.  And last week she uploaded some layouts that kinda freaked me out for a moment.  Because they looked so similar to this layout that I had made.  And I hadn't even posted it yet.

Are we bosom scrappy buddies and never even knew it?
(insert twilight zone music here)

More to share, plus a winner!

Sometimes I find it a bit difficult to adapt to new scrapbooking environments.  It just throws off the groove, ya know?  So, it's really funny to me that I made this layout in a hotel lounge.  With lots of other ladies around.  Tons of distractions.  But hey, that's what scrapbooking weekends are about, right?  :)

I hope everyone was able to stop by in time to leave a comment!  I chose a winner by using the random.org website.

Congrats!  Green Tangerines will contact you for your information.  Hope everyone's weeks are off to a great start!

I know it's only Monday,

But I'm hosting a party tonight.  :)  A blog party, that is.  I was asked a few months ago to help Green Tangerines help launch their new kit club.  Now that I'm finally ready, tonight's the night!

If you leave a comment here before 4pm tomorrow (7/7/09), you will have a change to win $50 worth of scrappy supplies from Green Tangerines!  And be sure to check out their blog for more chances to win.

I absolutely adored the yellow flocked die-cut paper in the kit, and I wanted to use it on more than one layout. So I trimmed off two of the sides for this layout (above) and used the rest of the paper for the last layout.

The flocked brads also went so well with the yellow dotted paper!  I was in love. And there are plenty left for me to use later.  :)

Make sure you hop on over to the Green Tangerines to check out what they've got going on, and be sure to leave a comment before 4pm tomorrow for your chance to win!

I really do like being an American.

I love the hodge podge of traditions each American family and neighborhood has.  I love that one block away you can find different ancestries and cultures, all in one neighborhood.  I love that Phil's family is Quaker and so classicaly American (in the modern day Pilgrim way!  hehe).  I love that my family makes French food to celebrate American holidays.  And I love, love, love, visiting family on such days.

I spent the 4th of July weekend with Phil's family and got to spend time with his wonderful cousins who live entirely too far away for my liking.  :(

We all gathered at Phil's grandparents' home in Central Ohio.  His grandparents are adoreable and their home is filled with American antiquities.  :)  Not fun for my allergies, but lots of fun to look at!

I can't help but feel that all is right with the world after spending time with good people and close family.

And let's not forget absolutely adorable children that make me want to accelerate my child bearing plans.  ;)

And old men who don't act their age.

I just love good ol' fashioned American afternoons.  And I really don't want this weekend to end.

Oh my.

I don't know if I'm ready for this, but I'm going to be doing another roadtrip today.  Annnnd I will be driving through Central Ohio again!  heeee!

I'll be spending lots of time with Phil's family for the 4th. Which is totally cool.  Just wish I could do without the car for a while.

For now, I bring you a Hambly layout.

Confession:  I think I spent 20 minutes trying to get a good picture of this. 

Is there a secret to taking good photos of your layouts?  I can't seem to find a spot with even lighting in my house, and the great outdoors keeps washing out the colors (even on cloudy days).  I'm not a big fan of the scanner, and that doesn't work too well with 12x12s anyway.  What's your secret?  Or are you still on the quest for that perfect technique, like I am?

Ladies, here you go.

Those of you have have been waiting in anticipation, the moment has finally come.  :)  And for those of you who are not ladies or have not been anticipating my photos, feel free to enjoy them anyway.

This is a brief recap of my weekend in Franklin, TN at the SIS scrapbooking event. (the rest of the photos can be found here.)

One of the fun things

we did this weekend at the SIS event was to scraplift each other.  I don't know if anyone else got in on the action, but the girls at my table thought it would be fun!  Our creations are posted over at Scrapjacked.  Here are my three layouts that I created last weekend which ended up involved in the jackathon.

To create this page, I gessoed over vintage sewing patterns and trimmed out squares to reveal journaling on the white cardstock underneath it.  I embellished the page with Sassafras die cuts and buttons as well and some stitching and Basic Grey letters.

I used gessoe a bit in this page too.  The pattern in the paper was too busy to serve as a backdrop to my title.

It's that time again!

Time for the JBS Mercantile reveal!  I can't tell you how much fun I had with this kit!  And I still haven't even made it halfway through the kit.  Whew!

Ummmm...

Be forewarned of the total randomosity that follows.

Craziest scrapbookers ever.  Nuff said.

The interior design wall of frame.

I've finally decided to just go ahead and hang pictures in our current home, because I don't think we'll be buying a house any time soon.  Who knows?  Maybe Phil will get a great job in the fall and we will buy this winter?  But meanwhile, I'm aching to do some kind of decorating.

(the picture quality isn't the best because I had to use my kit lens to get the wide angle)

So I tackled the blank entry way wall.  Everything you see on this wall was a huge bargain.  So much so, that I feel compelled to discuss each piece!

The panoramic image at the top is a vintage 1901 photograph of Chicago, and has some water damage in the corner.  But it was love at first sight at the antique store, so I bought it anyway.  And I think we all know by now that Chicago has my heart.

The frame to the right of it was a creation I did for The Art is Found using a $1 picture frame (that I painted) from Goodwill and inserting a $1 record (just the cropped cover, of course) inside of it.

Next to the album art is a pocket watch style clock that I also snagged for less than $20 at an antique mall.

The first frame in the next row is framed crewel work piece I picked up for $12 at an antique mall.  The very same antique mall where I found the square framed mirror to its right.

that would be the mirror, not a photograph of myself.  ;)

Next is the Try A Little Kindness crewel work piece that I found when I visited Vanessa.  The $3 price was written on a bandaid on the front of the glass.  And I thought it was hilarious last week when Elsie posted about her love for the very same exact piece!

The round frame below was purchased from a little antique shop in Hartville.  I replaced the vintage photo with a clipping from the back of an Anthro catalog.  Or I should say THEE Anthro catalog!

The last two frames were thrift store finds and the letter J is brought to you by the Archivers clearance section.

The one thing I haven't decided about this wall of frames is whether or not I want to keep adding to it.  Or should I just leave it the way it is?  What do you think?