Scrapbook Sale, June 22nd

Please email croppintrain@aol.com if you are interested in reserving a spot to SELL your own scrapbook/crafty stash at this event.

Scrapbooking...

It's been hit or miss on makin time to scrapbook but I did want to share a few of my latest projects.

You are my Happy - 2 Page Layout

 

Still lacking photos but I loved using the product from Echo Park to create a boyish layout featuring a technique  of layring squares to create the triagular edge which was a fun & easy element using paper to make a unique border.

 

Adore 2 Page Layout



 

 

This layout is a blend of vintage & bold modern patterns which I think is a great combo. I used lots of Hiedi Swapp Sugar Chic product to great this. I handcut flower blooms from patterened paper for the top right corner. Sprayed lost of banners with Glimmer mist to create layer, texture & sparkle too.

 

Spring, 2 Page Layout

 

 

To know Rhonna Farrar's work is to love her, I'm in fact a little obsessed with her & was just tickled she collaborated with My Minds Eye as a designer for this paper line.

 

I used a playful mixture of the patterned paper & stickers from the collection. I also used sewing patterns to create a looped fring border & flower. The title letters are Pink Paislee, sprayed with Glimmer Mist.

 

I love sparkle so used some glitter paper incorpareted as banners on both pages.

 

Overall it was a fun & fresh page...now to find the perfect photos to compliment the designs.

 

 

 

 

 

Creating Keepsakes Magazine...I'm published!

In my hectic schedule I forever have a to-do list that is waiting to be checked off. I don't often get to those non-essentials on the list BUT I did find time to submit ONE scrapbooking layout to Creating Keepsakes back in June/July and it was selected for pulication. After a loooonnnngggg wait, it just now came out. Go me!

This is my first major magazine publication and I couldn't be happier. I am flattered that they chose me to be included in a magazine that I have loved for YEARS and that everyone gets to see my cute daughters face : ) It's a proud mama moment. If you want to check out the layout - see page 33 of the newest issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. It's the front page of the Readers Gallery!

Happy Scrappin!

Tennis - like the game

Celebrate Scrapbook Layout with Pink Paislee

I haven't shared any scrapbooking layouts in awhile but I have been busy creating! Here is one of my favorite layouts. It features new products from Pink Paislee & House of 3 line "Soiree". Doesn't it just feel like a party when you look at it?

 There are so many little finds with this line of products! The little banner pin flags & sparkly glitter elements.

I also love the tissue paper in the line - yes I said that right - TISSUE PAPER! It's perfect for creating ruffly edges and dimension without bulk .

Pin It


Now I'm just ready to add photos from our fun 1st birthday crop to make this layout about a bash complete!

How is it October in my Sweet Life?

My mind is realing at the fact that is October 17th…apply all the cliche’s here about how quickly time goes by! Time really does fly.
In some ways that is frustrating when I have so many things to get done in the day. I want to clone myself and send each of me to take on different aspects of my life just so I can keep up & do all things well. Working, Creating, Wife, Mom, Friend, Auntie, Sister…finding the balance. The sweet spot where everything just jives is a hard persuit.
In some ways it’s exciting that time is going by so quickly. It means we are getting closer to the holidays (my favorite time of year) and also closer to vacation which is 33 days away! We have planned for a year for this family vacation. It is a treat we are so excited to give my parents & siblings – perhaps once in a lifetime trip although I hope it spurs a tradition! I am so looking forward to boarding the big cruise ship and checking out of life for a solid week. Just pure relaxation and family time. It’s so needed right now. I live a sweet life and I don’t spend enough time savoring that so I hope time sloooowss down for our vacation so we have loonnng days to enjoy.
I did take some time this week to do some creating which re-juvenates me so much. Here is a layout about one of the sweetest parts of my life, my amazing husband. It’s hard to remember my life before him, we met & started dating when I was 17 years old – just babies! Now he turns 30 this week which is just crazy in my mind…again time flies. I wish him a very happy 30th and look forward to making more sweet memories in years and years to come. XOXO

Me with my basket of sweetness & the Pink Paislee owner Rebecca




Back to my layout, which I couldn’t share without talking about the awesome product. 99% of the goodness I used for this page is Pink Pailee’s Sweetness line. It is a non-traditional mix of colors in a line about love & valentine’s day. There are amazing rub ons, papers, & stickers to coordinate. And guess what??? I WON ALL THE PRODUCT! I was the very lucky recipient of a HUGE Pink Paislee prize basket at fun scrappin’ event. Our LSS, Signed, Sealed & Delivered brought in Rebecca Cross who is the founder & owner of Pink Paislee to teach for a day. We all got tons of product for the great classes she taught and then to win was just the icing on the cake. Stick a fork in me I am done! She’s amazing… the entire day was amazing and getting to create with heaps of free scrappin’ product is amazing. Another sweet spot in my life this week

Echo Park Paper

I think I have mentioned on the blog previous how blown away by Echo Park Paper's entry into the scrapbooking world. Now I wanted to share that you can get them for 20% off MSRP from 2Katie Designs. Please visit our blog at www.2katiedesigns.com/blog for details.

I am working on designing a mini album kit with their Summertime line that is full of pinwheels and bright colors which provide plenty of inspiration for summer fun photos calling to be scrapbooked. Anyway, busy busy bee here so I am off and running but wanted to share of few pics of our summer which is gardening, grilling and SMORES!

Graduation Album

So I have the best 5 year old neice the world can offer. She is a living, breathing, walking, TALKING - miracle and I love her to peices. The little diva  graduated from her pre-K program a couple weeks back and as a gift I decided to create an album of some of my favorite photos of her along with quotes. I think it turned out pretty cute. I used a lot of sparkly paper with flowers and girlie stuff because that's what a princess would want!

For Blaklie's miracle story you can view the link below too. HAVE tissues handy!

Blaklie's Miracle on Video

Toilet Paper Crtafts

So maybe this is taking the whole up-cycling / receycling thing too far but interesting nonetheless. Us crazy scrappers are making use of what normaly would be disposed in the weekly trash pick up - empty toilet paper rolls. I have seen these rolls transformed into gift card holders, mini albums, seasonal decor and more.

Well now the joke is on me, because it turns out there are very fun to make...photos of my own toilet paper projects coming soon!

I am entering it in toilet paper roll mini album contest on http://www.scrapbook-crazy.com/ so wish me luck!

Feels like summer

Arkansas weather feels like we are just on the edge of summer. The season I love the most!

I love no school, which equallys sleeping in!

I love a sweating kiddo

I love big sunglasses and sunscreen

I love afternoons splashing in the pool & the smell of chlorine

I love having time to read (currently enjoying Jodi Picoult's "19 Minutes")

I love Watermelon and BBQ's

I love NO agendas, NO activities, NO sporting events

I love watching her jump in the sprinkler & eating popsicles

We are right there, so close! A few more weeks of school then we are home free. Awe

Of course we have to scrapbook all those amazing summer moments as well! I LOVE bright colors for summer and I have a few favorites I can't wait to use, they are really just screaming to have photos on them of swimsuits, beaches, big sunglasses and kite flying.

The first is from a new company Echo Park Paper Company. Summertime is their first and only line released so far and they have my mouth watering as to just what they will put out next. It is very bright and great for boys or girls. It features a lot of banners which are the "it" thing right now too.

The second is from October Afternoon and it's called "Fly a Kite". It is more muted but still summer ready and very kitchy which is totally cute. Good for far more than kite flying pics.

As soon as I get my pics on this paper I will share! Happy Scrapping.

2Katie Designs

Chances are if you know me, you know my BFF Katie Tillman as well. Call us Thelma and Louise, Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Dumb & Dumber...you get the point. When you get one, most of the time you get the other too. We work together professionally, our families hang out together, we scrapbooking together and now after years of dreaming and discussing we are entrepreneurs together with the birth of 2Katie Designs. Our friendship began with scrapbooking and I can't wait to see where it takes us in this new venture.

We didn't start this business because we think we are rock stars (that's just fact -j!), but because we see a lack of class options and scrapbooking events in our area of the woods. We hope to share or love and cultivate more scrapbookers to get into the hobby. It's a hobby that records our families legacy and it's an awesome creative outlet for us.

The business side of things has taken weeks but it feels good to be official and actually teaching our "students". We are glad to have all of you along for the ride with us. Join is at www.facebook.com/2katiedesigns or at http://www.2katiedesigns.com/.

Scrapbook News & Review

So I am just tIcKLed and have to share with someone...or everyone...

I am going to have 4 layouts published in Scrapbook News & Review coming out October 24th!!! I recieved an email yesterday regarding the publication and while I am so excited to be a part of it, I am bummed because my husband is out of town for a 3 day drill weekend and left his phone behind. So of course the one person I want to share with most isn't here to cheer me on. Bittersweet I suppose.

Anyway, this is only the 2nd online submission I have made so I was excited to be selected for the issue. From my understanding it is for an article revolving around different scrapbooking styles from Modern Clean lined, to Shabby Chic, Digital or Ecclectic. I think I am falling into Shabby Chic, maybe Ecclectic though. We will just have to see. But they picked 4 out of 4 of the layouts I sent to them for consideration.

Like I said I am just tickled because I have won a few contests before but this is my first publication...look out Lisa Bearson here I come!!!

BTW, I of course can't post the layouts as they have the rights for them for the magazine but I will scan pics of the magazine once it comes out to share. Kaia is also excited to be the model in the magazine since she is in most of the pics but Blaklie, Boston, Chelsie and myself as well as a huge family group shot will be in there.

Acrylic Album

My favorite gal  pal, Katie Jo, did this AmAzzzInGG acrylic album for a baby gift for another friend. I think you will agree that any new mama would love to get a gift like this!

The album is over the top girlie with pastels, bling, butterflies, flowers and everything to showcase the perfect little girl poses.

Thanks for Katie Jo for letting me share with everyone on my blog as well![gallery]

Obnoxious Shirts

So I just have to add another pic from the CK Tulsa Convetion...this is actually in my driveway once Katie & I have returned home with an SUV jam packed full of scrapbooking goodies! We are worn out but still smiling. The big sunglasses are oh so typical of us and the Paper Ho shirts just top off the weekend. They make me laugh, while I am sure to others they are just obnoxious but OH WELL!

[caption id="attachment_158" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Paper Ho's are finally home...with more than 100 sheets of new paper each!"][/caption]

CK Convention Tulsa

[caption id="attachment_149" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Tillman driving...which is an adventure of it's own!"][/caption]

So Tillman (the other half of KT2) and I have made an annual trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the Creating Keepsakes (CK) Convention for the past 4 years. We anticipate and plan for this trip for months! We have googled all the newest paper lines we want to search for, we have saved up extra cash, and booked a room & classes months in advance...all in preparation for "OUR" weekend away.

 

This year, some of the aspects of the actual convention were dissapointing BUT a weekend away with a great friend and more scrapbooking items than you can fathom always equals FUN! We left on Thursday and hit a local scrapbook store in Claremore, OK. This is a great little store and we found some great lines from Collage Press we hadn't seen before - so many cute CuPcaKeS!!! I was very inspired before we even got to the convention. Anyway, we got checked in at the Renaissance Hotel where the convention is held. We realized we are becoming PROS at this!!! We arrived before the crowds of scrappers showed up, getting a primo room with a refrigerator so it was a perfect start. After our smooth check in we hit some of the other stores in the area as well as Michael's.

[caption id="attachment_150" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Buffalo Blasts from Cheesecake Factory"][/caption]

One of our other favorites to do while in Tulsa is to EAT at Cheesecake Factory, so we did - TWICE! It was so yummy, everything they make is good. Perfection even. Our personal favos are Buffalo Blasts, Sweet Corn Cakes, Orange Chicken and Strawberry Shortcake. Those are our recos for your next visit to the Factory!

[caption id="attachment_151" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Very messy but creative class!"][/caption]

Back to scrapbooking...we took classes on Friday & Saturday and shopped the Vendor Fair filling our minds with new skills and plenty of ideas. We headed home Saturday afternoon after hitting "A Memory to Scrap" in Broken Arrow, OK, it was a fabulous store with a friendly and knowledgable staff. We purchased our last scrapping goodies before heading back to Bentonville, AR. Another great year of friends, fun and scrapbooking!

Pink Paislee Virtual Warehouse sale

Hopefully many of you scrappers out there were able to take advantage of the virtual sale on pinkpaislee.com where they cleared out their warehouse in preperation for the upcoming launch of their new lines at CHA Summer 2009. The grab boxes were $55 and worth EVERY penny - here is just SOME of what came in my box:

[caption id="attachment_70" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Pink Paislee Stamps"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_69" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fascinating Line"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_68" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fetching Line"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_66" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pop Fashion Line"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_64" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Office Lingo Line"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_62" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Spring Collection"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_63" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Christmas Collection"][/caption]

Can't wait to get to scrapping with these goodies, which will surely be posted here too!
Enjoy.