Stick Pin; Lace ATC and March Blissfull ATC Swaps Recieved

Took at quick trip to Vegas with the Hubby.  Had a blast, we saw Cirque de Soleil's LOVE.  This show featured the music of the Beatles and I loved it.  I think this show ranks right up there with Cirque's La Nuba.

Before I left town I was fortunate enough to receive several packages from my March swap partners.  I participated in the March Blissfull ATC Swap. The theme was dress forms.  My partner was Melanie Statnick over at The Rabbit Hole.  She is a multimedia artist and her ATC is awesome.  She also send an envie full of goodies.

The other Swaps I participated in over on the Altered Paper site were a Stick Pin swap and a Lace ATC Swap.   My stick pin partner was Donna and she send these gorgeous red stick pins and vintage red seam binding all wrapped up in vintage pattern paper.  I will be able to use these pins and the seam binding on wedding layouts for Matt and Tori.

Finally, I also received my lace ATC from Karla over at Sketchbooks ATC's Mail Art.  She sent this beautiful ATC covered in lace and topped off with a gorgeous resin Cameo.  Its absolutely stunning.  Then to add to the beauty of the card, Karla made a lace envelope for her lacy creation, how creative is that!!! Karla recently informed me that my Lace ATC was obviously lost in the mail, as she has not received it to date.  Such a sad state of affairs.  I will be recreating her ATC today and shipping it out priority with goodies as my way of apologizing for the Post Office's screw up.

I also wanted to share my Altered Stick Pin holder and Stick pin creations with you. I created this little card which housed the 5 multi colored stick pins inside.  I sure hope Donna in Florida gets her package soon, I would hate to think that two of my packages were lost.

Have a wonderful Sunday!!!

Latest Layouts

 It has been a busy summer.  I attended several 4 day crops and had an absolutely fantabulous time.  My husband and I took several short trips close to home and I tried to do some scrapping at home in between.  Below are several of the layouts that I worked on and completed over the summer break. 

This is my graduation picture.  I can honestly say, its the first time I have scrapped a "vintage" picture of myself.  I just love the colors of this layout.  The picture really doesn't do it justice.  The blues are a smokey color.  The Cameo embellishment comes from Swirlydoos as does the dusty attic clock.  The doily was cut using the Mother's Day cartridge from Cricut.  Both the doily and clock embellishment were colored using several different colors of glimmer mist.  The feather with the rhinestone jewels was purchased at Hobby Lobby, it was a barrette that I destroyed, LOL.... The flowers were cut from material using Tim Holtz's flower Sizzix die.  The lace and buttons are vintage. 

The layout above is one of Matthew's graduation pictures.  It had that old Hollywood feel to it.  Every time I look at it I think Art Deco.  Soooo I did a search online for examples of designs in the Art Deco style and found a leaded glass menorah that I liked and used it has the inspiration for the art deco arches on this layout. 

I still need to add my title and think I will use something like Heart Throb.  You can see in the photo below, that I have used three stick pins and one has a red heart on top.  I also scattered red and black vintage buttons, used a vintage "frog" and button card.  The tux tie was part of a costume that Matt used for one of the Mardi Gras balls he participated in and the journal card reminded me of an old coat check claim ticket, again, thinking old Hollywood glamour, when everyone dressed to the "nine" every evening.  

Torn, so proud yet so very scared.  The layout above was very hard for me to complete.  I started it in July and didn't finish it until Labor Day.  I had the vision in my head but had a heck of a time transferring it to the layout. 

I would like to add that I have had many "difficult" times in my life, just like we all have, but I have to tell you that this was one the most difficult to date.  I had dreaded that day since he had informed us 18 months earlier that he had joined the Marines.  He and his brother are my heart and to watch your child leave for a war torn country knowing full well it could be the last time you see him alive was soooo very hard.  The only thing that got me through the whole ordeal was knowing that it was all in God's plan for Matthew and nothing would happen if it wasn't part of the plan.  I am happy to report that Matt did return from Afghanistan in April and we are now awaiting his second deployment in January of 2011. 

 A class I participated in, taught by Connie, a very talented teacher at our local scrapbook store, Treasured Memories.  The pictures are of some of my hibiscus blooms.  The soft purple flower won a gold ribbon at the Hibiscus Show in 2007.

Another class, this time taught by Melissa, again from Treasured Memories.  Now I need to add the pictures.

That's all for now. 

Summertime Crops

I love summer break, not only do I get about 10 weeks off from school, but its also the time I get to attend 4 day crops. Already this summer I have attended two cropping events, TAC and Treasured Memories. I really love attending this events. The inspiration that oozes from the room is awesome. I took tons and tons of pictures so that I will be able to scraplift my favorite layouts during the long dreary months of winter. Here are some layouts that I completed recently, along with some of my favorites from others.

Memories from Disney World. I love the way this layout turned out. The map looks old and burned around the edges, and the little treasured scattered here and there just remind me of pirate loot. I used Graphic 45 paper on this layout. I love, love, love Graphic 45, especially the back side or to me its the back, most people use the more graphic side, while I tend to use the patterned side, LOL.

Here is one of the little treasured I added to the layout. The coin came from a pirate set that I bought in the airport in Wilmington, NC when we flew out to welcome Matt home from Afghanistan. The set had the coin, a map and a eye patch. I just had to have that set, I knew I could incorporate some of the items into a layout. I also attached a cluster of beads and charms on a jump ring, then attached to whole thing to the trim. Love this look!!!


Here is a cluster of feathers, tied with a ribbon and some scattered buttons and charms. Stuck in the feathers is a custom made stick pin from Treasured Memories, a local scrapbook store. I just brought my layout to the counter and together the owner and I picked out the beads. I love stick pins, they just seen to add the right amount of POP to a layout.

The last cluster is more feathers, buttons and a little drawer pull along with my journaling card. I tend to like my journaling hidden, after all, I think of my layouts as parts of a diary, private, and therefore tend to hide the journaling.

I'll add the rest of the photos a bit later today, the garden is screaming for attention and there is a storm in the gulf that I must prepare for.