Last Collage Press Layout

I wanted to start out by saying thank you to the many blog readers that I have. The RAKS that I give out are often just a small way of showing you how grateful I am for each and every one of you. I love and appreciate all the comments that you leave and although I try to get back to each of you, it doesn't always happen.

Also, a few weeks ago, I was having troubles with my blog and I think some of settings may have gotten messed up. So, if you weren't able to leave a comment before, I have adjusted all that so it shouldn't be a problem any more. With that said, there are still a few days left at a chance of winning the RAK pictured below by leaving a comment on that blog post.

My term has come to an end with Collage Press. I can't even tell you what a pleasure it has been to design for this company. They are amazing!! I have never worked with any other manufacturer's paper that have made my creative process so easy. I guess they just fit my style and it just made it so much fun for me.

Although I'm sad to see the term end, I'm on the edge of my seat to find out what the new lines will be looking like. So, thank you Collage Press, for treating me so wonderfuly and for continuing to make the most amazing pattern paper ever.

I wanted to share with you my last layout that I created for them and you could see what the other designers created on the CollagePress Blog.

Don't forget, Saturday is National Cardmaking day! I have a card to share a fun tip.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

RAK time!!!

Oh wow! I figured it out! I'm back to blogging with images. Phew. Now I have so very much to share that I seriously just don't know where to start! LOL How about we start with the RAK I've been mentioning. Here is a photo of it.

Heidi Grace Flocked and Foiled paper
Heidi Grace Flocked Monograms

Heidi Grace Flocked Tags

Heidi Grace Flocked Add on Die cuts

Heidi Grace Cardstock Stikers (embossed and alphies)

Heidi Grace Hat Pins

Flowers (Maya Road, Heidi Grace, Kaiser, Basic Grey)

2 Stamps - Pink Paislee

***Because this was so long in coming, there will be an extra item tossed in...somethin' good! ;)
I thought this would be a fun set to make baby boy cards or layouts with but really it could be used for so many different things!

You have a week to post a comment and then I will draw a winner next Friday at 12 noon pst.

When I shared my photos of my dd drawing herself during her first day of Kindergarten, someone posted that it might be fun to see her actual 'art work!' So, here is a bit of eye candy from the special artist of the day. ; ) See this post to see who the self portrait is of.

There are some other fabulous artists displaying their work today on the Collage Press blog. This is the last day for some of the designers that I've been to create along side to share their work. I can't believe it's been a year already! I've absolutely loved designing for Collage Press.

Five days I ago I posted a challenge for Collage Press and it ends today. This is the card I made for the challenge. I can't wait to see who else is playing along.

I have so much to share and so many photos. For now, I'll sign off with just these few that I took on the first day of Fall. Didn't feel like fall here on the Oregon coast!

Collage Press Challenge

What an amazing blog hop that was!! I don't think I've had so many comments before. I'm glad so many people were getting inspired by so many different artists! It's super too bad that I haven't been able to share anything since then. I'm not sure what's going on but I'm still not able to upload any photos to my blog. It's the strangest thing. I RAK I want to share at some point but until I figure out why I can't upload images, I guess it'll have to wait.

You know me, for some reason I have a very hard time blogging without sharing some eyecandy or an awesome photo. So this is a tough one for me! However, I do have project to share and even a great chance at winning some fabulous Collage Press goodies. You will have to visit the Collage Press blog to get all the details. I hope some of you get a chance to participate!

This last Sunday was such a sweet time of worship at our church. It was an all youth team (except this ol' lady!) and it was just so neat to hear them sing and play their hearts out. My son was on the congas for the very first time during a service. He has played at school and in a school concert but this was much different. He was adamant about having the words so he could sing as well. It just melted my heart.

I think having to tear down and put the 'church' back together each Sunday in the school while the church has been renovated has really been a bonding experience. Not just for the church family but even just for my family. It's good for them to see the hard work and willingness of everyone who pitches in. This past Sunday, we were cleared out within 15 min. Amazing! The church is nearly done. Oct. 4th will be the move in date and I can't wait to share photos (if I can figure out what's going on here...LOL)

Have a wonderful and blessed week!

The hop continues!

Good Friday morning everyone! The list of amazing designers for the JustRite blog hop continues. You can read more about the blog hop, chance at winning prizes, and the sale, in my previous post. Here is the list of today's designers. These are some super talented ladies that will be sure to give you some great inspiration!

Debbie Olson
Jerri Kay Jimenez
Taylor Van Bruggen
Holly Simoni
Barb Schram
Terre Frye
Michelle Kovack
Kim Moreno
Catherine Doucette
Kellie Fortin
Kimberly Crawford
Kathy Jones
Michelle Giraud
Angela Barkhouse
Heather Pulvirenti
Tami Mayberry
Jennifer Buck
Keri Lee Sereika
Jami Bova
Laura Davis
Stacey Kingman
Bonnie Sharp
Stephanie Severin
Janine Rich
Debbie Seyer
Margie Higuchi
Lauren Bergold
Anja Curvers
AJ Otto

I had some fun things to share today, including a give-away! But I'm having troubles with blogger and can't get any images uploaded. I will try to update later today or when I can get it working.

Also, I will be posting a College Press challenge on their blog this weekend so check back for those details.

Blessings on your day!

JustRite Blog Hop!

Welcome to the JustRite blog hop! I'm so excited to be a part of this amazing and enormous event. My JustRite stamping supplies just keeps growing and I love getting so much inspiration from all these fabulous designers that have come up with some great ideas!

Guess what else?

There is Mystery Blog Candy being given away during the Two Day Just Rite Font Blog Hop! What makes it a mystery? Well, there will be 3 blog candy giveaways on each day and you can only win by leaving a comment on the right blog! The real surprise is you won't know which blog has the candy; even the designer doesn't know! So as you visit each of the 54 designers over the two day event take time to leave a comment. Who knows, the lucky winner may be you! You have until Sunday at noon to leave a comment for your chance to win. Then check back at the JR Blog on Sunday evening to find out who won.

I have enjoyed creating a card to share. I designed a 'Congrats' card that I could have on hand to grab at any given moment. Then, when I'm in need of the card, I can use my Font Sets to customize the inside to suite the occassion at hand. Some ideas are; 'On your Retirement,' 'On your Engagement,' 'On your Graduation,' ect.

Supplies: Tromp Script Uppercase Set (JB-08090,) Harmony Classic Circle III Stamp Ensemble (JB-08140,) Spellbinders S4-233 Labels 9 die (#4 and #5), Spellbinders 12-1006 Floral & Stone Impressabilities, Pattern Paper - Kimberly Poloson, Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels (Candlight,) Copic Glitter Markers - Garnet and Sand, Crystals - Prima Marketing, Kaiser, Flowers and Lace - Prima Marketing, Ink - Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Instructions:

1) Cut a 6 x 12" piece of colored cardstock and fold in half to create base.
2) Add 5.75x5.75" of striped pattern paper.
3) Emboss white cardstock using Spellbinders Floral and Stone Impressibilities. Cut down the center lengthwise. Adhere to striped paper on the bottom and top.
4) Sew a coordinating patter paper block to middle.
5) After applying glimmer mist to white cardstock, cut and emboss paper with Spellbinders Labels 9 die (#5).
6) Stamp sentiment on white cardstock using Trompe Script Uppercase Font set. Cut out with Spellbinders Labels 9 die (#4.)
7) Layer dies using pop dots and adhere to card.
8) Stamp butterfly image using Harmony Classic Circle III Stamp Set. Color with glitter markers and cut out.
9) Embellish card with trim, crystals, flowers and butterfly.














































What's better than some fantastic inspiration from so many different designers? A HUGE SALE!!! JustRite is celebrating their Mega Font Hop (a 2 Day Event with 54 designers)in style with a Super7 Day Font Sale. Take 30% off all JustRite font sets and the Horizontal and Veritical Font Stampers. Sale begins Sept 17th and ends Sept 24th.

If you haven't yet checked out the rest off the hop, check out this amazing talent! Click on their name to take you to their blogs. You can start at the beginning or hop on to Mary's blog to see what she came up with!

Check back tomorrow for Friday's list and some eye candy!


JustRite Blog
Michelle Wooderson
Sankari Wegman
Heidi Blankenship
Eva Dobilas
Beate Johns
Sharon Harnist
Barbara Anders
Sharon Johnson
Deb Saaranen
Becca Feeken
Kazan Clark
Lauren Meader
Tammy Hershberger
Linda Beeson
Jenny Gropp
Lori Craig
Tanis Giesbrecht
Jenn Balcer
Lisa Somerville
Karen Maldonado
Pamela Smerker
Karen Taylor
Latisha Yoast
Julie Overby
Mary Pfaff

And.....they're off! All 3 of them!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Labor Day weekend! We were able to spend some time with Arte's family and it was just awesome! Kelsey took off this weekend for the first time without training wheels on a 'big bike.' That was super fun. I have plenty of photos to share but this post is going to be dedicated to 'back to school,' as I'm sitting here in a a quite house, working through my emotions.

For those of you just looking for some crafty inspiration, I'll start off by sharing a few more cards I did with the Jillibean Soup goodies.


























So, the two oldest started school on Tuesday but today was sweet peas first official day of Kindergarten. We went yesterday for just a bit and she was able to tour her class and school with her teacher all by herself. I could tell she loved the one on one.

Every year, during Kindergarten orientation, my kids have had to draw a picture of themselves. This is the first year they provided a mirror.






















I cracked up as I watched K intently look at herself in the mirror and draw a few scribbles and then look so closely again. She took sooooo long and worked so hard on her picture. It was adorable!



















If you can believe it, the first week of school and the first day of Kindergarten for my youngest, and my battery on my Canon Rebel decides that it's battery life is done. I kept charging it all day/night and then I'd only get one shot before it died again. I had to resort to my point and shoot which is quite frustrating to someone who just took a class on how to get some excellent shots with their Canon Rebel. I'm sure many of you would understand. LOL So, I'm not super happy with a lot of my photos but, at least I got them!

This morning was the actual first day with all the kids in the class; the time when Mom had to actually leave the classroom. Heart wrenching. Could this possibly be the one year old baby that I just brought to this small time 4 1/2 short years ago?? She is so ready. I am the one struggling. I can't help but to think of my good friend Lucy, who has just watched her fourth child graduate from highschool. I can't even imagine the emotions she is going through. I already feel like I'm going through the 'empty nest' stage! LOL Sometimes I wonder if I try to hard to photo, document, grasp, savor, remember every moment because I just don't want to let them go. I know that I won't regret her.

Here she is this morning...beaming.





















This is Henry their new class pet. Dave, the man in charge of the kitchen at the school, just happen to be coming down with a carrot and celery at the time K was showing her brother and sister the new rabbit. Last night, K said the thing she most looking forward to was taking care of the rabbit. Much to her delight, Dave her and her sister some veggies to feed the rabbit. It was the very first thing she got to do. She was ecstatic! What a blessing. On a side note....did I mention she was trying to teach our cat some tricks?? Yes, they bought treats for Cuddles and are trying to train her. **sigh** I think this household needs a puppy! LOL

Well, backing up a few days to Tuesday when my two oldest started, I have to share the cutest story ever. All summer long, A was so upset that her favorite lil' buddy from school was going to be moving this summer. Well, it turns out that she hasn't moved yet. Not only are they in the same class but the teacher placed name tags on the tables and they are sitting right next to each other! As if that wasn't enough excitement for two little second grade girls, check what else happened on the first day of school.....

















(photo taken with blackberry!)

They were wearing the same new dress!! I couldn't believe it when I went to pick them up from school. Totally matching. Too cute. Totally unplanned. Of course, I didn't bring my camera to pick them up so I had to use my phone! LOL

Here are a few shots of my big 5th grader on his first day and my 'all grown up' 2nd grader! **Sniff sniff**















Thanks for letting me share. I'm off to have some quiet time and get some things done around the house...trying to distract myself from realizing my kids are growing up so fast!

I have much more to share; photos, project and events. Now that summer is over, I'll hopefully be able to update a little more often. I'd love to hear from you if you feel like leaving a comment.

Blessings on your day!

Jillibean Soup Guest Designer

I'm so excited to be the Guest Designer for Jillibean Soup this month. This is one of my favorite, new companies in the scrapbooking industry. I first stumpled upon on them at their debut during CHA W last January. It was so fun to see what new products they came out with this summer and I had the privilege of working with them! You can read my bio and see what I created by clicking on their blog called Bean Talk

Here is one of the layouts that I did. I love this serious of photos because they were taken right after my sweet pea swam for the first time under water this summer. After I took the photos, she stood up and was sooooo proud of herself! As matter of fact, when we were at the dentist yesterday, she had to tell him all about. Too funny.



















It's been an interesting week around here. We are trying to get our 'back to school' shopping done before this weekend. We are also saying goodbye to one of the sweetest families in our church and community. Yes, another very dear friend of mine and my son's are leaving at the end of this week. I know that it's a fact of life, it's just so hard to see it happen to two of the families we are closest to in a three month period. This one is going to be a hard one but I know that God has their best interest in mind and so very excited for the changes that in store for them.

I was also thinking yesterday about what the roll of a pastor's wife feels like. Sometimes, it's so easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you have to be all things to all people at all times. This is a very difficult standard to live up to! As matter of fact, you don't even have to be in ministry to feel that way. You can just have what is called a 'rescue syndrome.' Although it's healthy to want to love and help people as much as possible, everyone needs to have balance. That is why we've been given the body of Christ. I'm so grateful for a wise husband who has taught me and helped me through this. I feel such freedom knowing that I am in obedience to what He has called me to do and who has called me to be. And then I can trust and know that he is talking to others to do their part.

I'm feeling an overwhelming amount of gratitude for people who are so behind the scenes and never expect any kind of thanks or recognition. There is this sweet, sweet gal who put a basket together for one of the ladies in our church that is going through a hard time. Some times I wonder if she really knows how much she extends the love of Christ without even realizing it. I feel so blessed to be among a church of willing servants. I've just been amazed at all that has gone on at church as well. It seems like every time I go down there, there is a different person sharing their 'expertise' on the building...whatever that may be. We are getting closer to the finished building and I can't wait to share the final photo.


I wanted sign off sharing one more of the projects I did for Jillibean Soup. For all my friends I'm missing right now for one reason or another...this ones for you!!























One more piece of exciting news that I wanted to share. I was so thrilled to get an email yesterday that listed all the different magazine that will be using my work for the Spellbinder Ads. There are five different magazines that will feature an ad using my art work. That was super fun for me. Thanks for lettin' me share!

Blessings on your Wednesday. Thanks for stopping by!