Queen of the Crop

As promised, here is the double page lo for Nuts About Sketches . Please head on over there & check out the work of my fellow dt members. These pics are of Emma when she was 7 months old, & I was making the calendar for the grandparents for Christmas. That was my 1st calendar, & I did a theme each month. Obviously, this was for July. She was so good, & fun, while I was snapping away, trying to get the perfect picture. She was/is so stinkin cute!!!

Well, happy Monday!!! It was a very good weekend for me. We got our tree, we had some quality family time while decorating & trudging through the fields to get our tree, then yesterday we had no plans at all. I got a little scrap time, & all was good! :o) Today is the reveal for Week 86 for Nuts About Sketches . Below, please find my submission. This is of my silly girls in October. Whenever the camera comes out, they just start acting all goofy. Making faces, dancing around, it is quite comical. This time was no exception. I was trying out dh's work camera, since it is so much smaller, to take with us on a hayride. It would fit in my pocket, vs. having to be lugged around. Plus I was going on the hayride sans dh. Just me & the girls. Anyway, they started doing their "comedy act" which was fun & funny. Goofballs! Gotta love em! Stay tuned for a bonus double page lo from Nuts About Sketches on Wednesday. -------------------------------------...

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This is my latest creation for the Nuts About Sketches DT. It was yet another wonderful sketch by the lovely Shawn. You should head over & check it out, along with all the other wonderful los by my fellow dt members. The lo is of my dd & the day we found out she no longer needed to be on a monitor. As most of you know, she was born almost 10 weeks early, & spent 5 weeks in the hospital. When she came home, she came home on a heart & apnea monitor. It was a peace of mind to make sure that she was ok, but boy was it a pain to lug around! Plus it would go off all the time as false alarms! So, this is the day that we got the call that we could get rid of it. Pics of the actual monitor, & pics of Emma w/o it!! Woo-hoo!

I just realized, I never posted my los for Nuts About Sketches the past two weeks! Where is my brain?! So, without further ado...... Week 83 - Nuts About Sketches - Paw-Paw's Boat This is the first time that Emma went on Paw-Paw's boat with my mom & dad. You wouldn't know it from her face, but they said she really enjoyed it! Week 84 - Nuts About Sketches - Wiggles My youngest, Audra, LOVES the Wiggles. We watch them at least once a day, if not more. The cd of songs is in the car, & she pretends to be Jeff. So, when they came to Hershey, I couldn't resist. DH was away, so I called my parents to see if they wanted to tag along. My dad being newly retired, didn't think twice, & they came with. I don't think he even knew who the Wiggles were (I think he thought they would be big furry animals or something), but he seemed to have enjoyed himself!

This is a double duty lo. I used a sketch that I found at the Everyday Scrapper , but used it for a challenge at From Here to Scrapternity . The challenge was to add just the facts: Who, What, Why, When, Where. It is about the bassinet that Emma is in. It has been in the family, on my husbands side, for 60+ years. My mother-in-law was in it as a baby, as well as her brother, then her children, & cousins, & other family members, now passed down to Emma (& Audra 2 years later). I was a little leary to use it at first, with it being so old, but the way my mil fixed it up, it was perfect & we got a lot of use of it.

Yet another lo created for the From Here to Scrapternity online crop LAST weekend. The challenge was to hand stitch on your lo. I stitched the ladybug trail. This pic is of Audra at 7 days old. She was such a porker!! Just get a load of those cheeks. She looks completely different now. It makes me sad to know that she is almost 3!!!

Another lo created for the From Here to Scrapternity online crop. This challenge was to compare, & list 5 different qualities. Here, I compared baby pics of Tony (bottom R), Emma (bottom L), Audra (top R), & me (top L), all about the same age. I was actually comparing who the girls looked like, Tony or me.

This lo was created for a challenge at From Here to Scrapternity . The challenge was to scrap about something that you were thankful for, but it could not be about family, health, or job. So, I printed pics that I found on the net & I came up with being thankful for the Big & Little things. The little things being: coffee, sales, naps, chocolate, pizza, books & scrapbooking. The Big thing, Jesus, ever present in our lives!!!

And another challenge from the fabulous online crop over at From Here to Scrapternity , this past wekeend! This was a sketch challenge. & you know those are my favorite!!! Here is the sketch that we worked with: And here is my lo: The challenge also called for it to have purple on it. Well, I finished my lo, & went to cross of that I completed it, & low & behold, there it was, "lay out must include the color purple." So, I grabbed a scrap, turned it over to the white side, inked it purple, & placed it on my lo! Can you find it? And just for giggles, I am going to keep it there too. I will always remember why that strip of purple is on my Christmas lo! :o) This is Emma at about 7 months old. I had taken these pics for the Christmas cards that we send out. She was so stinkin cute in that Santa suit!

Lots & lots of los! I was a busy gal this past weekend. This was another challenge at From Here to Scrapternity. It was another scraplift challenge. As you can tell, I really like them! Sometimes I stray & make them my own, sometimes I keep them very similar. This one was a great lo, so didn't need to change much. However, I have girls, not boys, so this is the girl version: Here is Nichole's beautiful lo: And then here is mine: I have always loved this pic! It is still framed on top of our entertainment center. Audra is just a few days old, & Emma was so into her. She was picking at her hair, her ears, her lil fingers, but she loved her toes. ....So, when I saw Nichole's lo, it was a no brainer what photo to use. I was a little lazy when it came to the stitching though. I only did 4 12x12 stitches!!

This was 2 separate challenges, on 2 separate sites. However, I did them the same so I could use as a double page lo. These are definately not my best work, however, it works for the pics that I used. I totally went back to basics on this one. Just paper, stickers, buttons, & doodling. I guess for nostalgia I should've pulled out the elmer's, huh? Anyway.... This one was done for Scraptacular's sketch challenge: And this one was done for From Here to Scrapternity 's Song Challenge: As the lo states, this was when we went to Sesame Place in 2007. Emma was 2, & Audra was 5 months old. I have a lot of pics of the day to scrap still, so don't be surprised if you see more los of this subject in the future.

This challenge was from Scraptacular's online crop this past weekend. It was to pick a lo from the gallery & scraplift it. I chose Heather, who had a fantastic lo that I couldn't resist. Here is my lo of dd Emma: And this is Heather's stunning lo: Thank you, Heather, for the wonderful lo to lift!!

Over at a fellow Everyday Scrapper , Vicki's blog, some wonderful blog candy. Please go visit her at: http://vickisartisticlicense.blogspot.com/ Here is the fabulous prize: ~So if you win you get: Maya Road chipboard book, felt arrows, party word and cupcake pieces; a Claire's Accessories bookmark; Prima flower; Heidi Swapp rubon corners; chipboard speech bubble; pink zip, book knob, tinkering ink alpha rubons AND various raffle tickets. ~So if you want to win there are several things you can do, for each of these things you will get 1 entry into the prize draw - which I will draw on DECEMBER 1ST ........ Leave a comment Be or Become a Follower Post about this candy on your blog, AND include a picture ~So you could get up to 3 chances to win..... but make sure you come back here and let me know which of the 3 you've done. GOOD LUCK.... oh and this IS open to everyone. So, what are you waiting for? Run on over & check it out!!

(technical difficulties....will repost soon)

This was an ad challenge for Scraptacular . We had to create a lo inspired by this ad: I flipped it, & used it as a sketch, & came up with this: My oldest friend, Angela, her son turned 1 a few months before Emma did. These are pics of his party. Angela, Brendon, & her dh Larry, are in the upper right hand corner. The other baby, is Emma. lol. Emma & Brendon are still great friends. We don't see them as often as we like, but when they do see each other, they play like they just saw each other yesterday. Just like Angela & I!!!

This was a challenge to scraplift someone's fall lo that was in the gallery at Scraptacular . I chose Cher's lo because I knew exactly what photos I was going to use. I flipped it, & put my own spin on it. Here is Cher's: And here is mine: The pic is of Emma decorating pumpkins, not in the traditional way, but in a "Mr. Potato Head" way. She had a ball & it kept her occupied for a long time. This was in 2007

Audra, my sweet Audra. This was earlier this year when we converted her crib to a toddler bed. She loved it, as you can tell by her jumping around, & of course, the theme is Dora, her fave!! However, as you can see, she didn't quite sleep the entire night in the bed, but rather on the floor. Too funny! This lo was created for a "Multi-photo" challenge at Scraptacular .

Hey, have you checked out the Everyday Scrapper yet today? There is a fabulous money saving tip on there on how to make your own chipboard. If I would've known that, I wouldn't have such a big stash of it!! Head on over & check it out now. Here is a peak at the item that Diana made, that was the "make it yourself." Simply beautiful!

I had a super busy weekend this past weekend. I didn't leave the house, in fact, yesterday, I never got out of my pjs! I worked a few hours each morning, then scrapped the rest of the days away. It was really nice. There were 2 online crops that I participated in. From Here to Scrapternity & then Scraptacular . Both were really hopping! If you have a chance, stop on by to check out the fabulous los everyone made from the challenges. Hopefully, throughout the day, I will be able to post some of my creations. Some I am very pleased with, others are so-so, but I did get quite a bit done. Stay tuned for my los.........

So, if you haven't already heard, there is an online crop going on over at From Here to Scrapternity ! It starts today & goes until Monday. Lots of fun challenges & games, & lots of great inspiration from the lovely ladies over there! So, come on over, check it out, & join in on the fun. ------------------------------------------------------------------ And, if you are looking to really keep yourself busy, Scraptacular's week long online crop continues through the weekend. Lots of interesting challenges, some that I have never heard of before, so go check them out, & check out her store as well. Lots of great items to purchase. ------------------------------------------------------------------ With that being said, be sure to tune in for many posts in the days to come. I plan on scrapping every waking moment this weekend. DH is coming home today after being gone for a week, I think I could use the scrap time! :o)

I know that some of you are avid card makers, well today is "What's Up Wednesday" over at Everyday Scrapper & they are featuring cards. Julie has some beautiful cards listed. You should head on over & check them out!

Well, looky here! I found a wonderful RAK on the beautiful Julie's blog! Her blog is very inspirational & touches my heart. Go check out her blog, leave a comment, & start to follow her for your chance to win that awesome RAK!!! http://joy-n-jesus.blogspot.com/

For all of you that have kiddos, go take a peek at Tuesday Tutorial over at the Everyday Scrapper . It is the cutest little turkey made from a childs handprint. I will most definately be doing that w/ my girlies in the next few weeks! I will post when I do. :o) What are you waiting for? Run over there & check it out! ;o)

It's Monday! You know what that means! New sketch over at Nuts About Sketches . Here is my dt submission for this week. Go on over & check all the other wonderful talent at Nut About Sketches . There are always beautiful los by the ladies, but these week there were a few that just knocked my socks off! This lo is of my dd & our old cat Jakey. We had to put him down about a year ago due to old age, & his diabetes got the best of him. He had been getting insulin shots 2x a day since dh & I got married!!! He just wasn't doing good anymore. I had him him before dh & I even met, so he lived a long happy life!!! He was my first baby, & I really miss him! Emma & Jakey adored each other! He put up with so much from her!!! She would sit on him, pull his tail, chase him, but at the through it all, he would snuggle up to her like this & head but her, & rub up against her. It was really cute! So, this was just one moment of them enjoying...

Here is week #81 for the sketch reveal over at Nuts About Sketches . My dt lo was posted over there today with the reveal. I always love doing her sketches. They are simple, but just challenging enough to make you think. Go on over & check it out, & all the other dt members los as well, & leave some love if you feel so inclined. I used, what else, Basic Grey. Their last years holiday line along with green card stock, & a few embellis that my mil bought for me. She remembered I had them, when I didn't! Thanks Momma G for helping me remember! The pics are of our holiday get together on my mom's side of the family from 2005. We do it annually, a few weeks before Christmas. As you can see, I have some crazy cousins, & a Mother who "drinks" her jello! lol.

I had made these tags for Emma's preschool class from Sassafrass Lass' line Monstrosity. I cut the monsters out of the pp, & put them on tags, cut from my Cricut. I doodled around the monsters, just for a little finishing touch. I then wrote "monster mix" on all the tags, then I had Emma sign them. We filled the bags with pretzels, m&m's, smarties, & a random other piece of candy. Emma had a ball helping me make them, & she was thrilled to hand them out to her friends at school. I had gotten the idea from Paper Crafts magazine. I think they used Night Light, from October Afternoon, & filled jars with goodies, but I think these turned out just as cute. & Emma having so much fun was well worth it!!

These 2 los were done in a page design class at Scraptacular . Her classes are awesome & they help me to get pictures scrapped faster!! She holds them once a month, usually on a Wednesday night, & you do 2 - 1 page los, & 2 - 2 page los. Of course she has an example, but you can make yours however you want. If you are local, come check it out, if you are not, she has kits available for you to buy. It is worth it!! The above picture is of the girls at my parents house. They were just hanging out & exploring everything. Audra, is in her typical attire, of nakedness! Below is the first day of preschool this year. Jack is Emma's future husband (lol), & we got very similar pics of them like this last year. The one of Emma hugging Jack though, you will see that pic again on a page of it's own. Just look at his face, & her look of admiration! She just loves him!

This lo was created for a challenge at Note~able . Another sketch by the wonderful Stacey. Another lo of Emma at 4 months & all her accomplishments at this age. Since she was premature, some of the things listed that she could do were huge milestones!

This page was created for a challenge at Note~able . Stacey does wonderful sketches, & this is a product of one of them! This is Emma at 4 months old. She still looks a little sick from being premature, but there is no monitor!!

Here is my weekly creation for the Nuts About Sketches DT. Emma had asked for roller skates for her birthday after attending a skating party for her cousin. She wanted Barbie skates, which my sister got for her for her birthday. Feeling that Audra would also want skates, my sister got her Dora skates. As you can see, Emma did pretty good, Audra did not like them one little bit! I used BG paper, a CM journal tag, & random flowers & brads. Check out all the other dt members creations over at the Nuts About Sketches blog. They are all very talented & did wonderful things with the sketch.

I did a couple of posts over at Scraptacular's blog for my October GDT stint. Go on over & check it out! http://www.scraptacularscrapbookstore.blogspot.com/

This lo was done as a bonus lo for Nuts About Sketches . It was the perfect sketch too. From the moment I saw the pictures, I knew I wanted to do something with the firetruck in the middle, so it was perfect.

You have to check out this new website. It is Above Rubies Studio ! It is a fantastic place to learn all the uses of your Cricut & you can even print a FREE downloadable Cricut Cutting Guide. It is wonderful! There is also lots & lots of blog candy! Daily tutorials & giveaways. Please, don't wait, rush over there & check it out!!!

Again, with my Basic Grey papers! I love Basic Grey. The only thing that isn't BG is the journaling tag & the buttons. I used to love putting Emma in hats! She always left them on too! She had more hats at this young age, then I did my entire life! But boy was she cute! This lo was create with inspiration from a sketch found at Back Porch Memories . On the Scraptacular forum, someone once suggested taking a picture of the person you scrapped holding your page. So, here is a picture of my daughter now, holding a pic of her back then. She thought it was the coolest thing! Now she tries to get in all my scrapbook page photos. Quite funny.

Here is my latest creation for the dt for Nuts About Sketches . This was a tough one! I had a really hard time with it. Shawn really challenged me this week! A little about the picture. My girls bugged my bil, "Uncle Chris" to play on the swing set with them. He did, & they were thrilled! The highlight was having to give Uncle Chris a kiss, to "pay the toll" to get down the slide. I think that Uncle Chris enjoyed himself also! Check out Nuts About Sketches later in the week for a bonus double page lo!

This is my most recent lo for the Nuts About Sketches DT. It was a double page lo, which I haven't been doing much of lately, & I really liked the way it turned out. And the subject was pretty fun too. Wasn't she just a cutie pie. She seems so much older now! & it was only 2 years ago!!

This lo was inspired by a sketch challenge at Scraptacular , where I am guest designer this month! Taryn posted the challenge. I changed it up a bit, but am quite happy with the results. DH will love it! He loves when I do los with him in them. Emma, in this picture, is younger than Audra is now. Makes me sad! Again, I used all Basic Grey. Love em!

This is a lo I did from a sketch that I found at Lets Capture These Sketches blog. Used almost all Basic Grey papers. I just adore Basic Grey! They are my all time favorite! AND it is a picture with me in it! That rarely happens. I have been doing it a bit more lately. The green tab on the side of the picture is hidden journaling. fyi. (in looking at my post, the colors are very muted. not sure what happened there, because the picture I used is quite colorful....hmmm).

This is the most recent lo for my DT work for Nuts About Sketches . #77. You really need to check out her blog. I know that I've said this before, but she does the most amazing sketches. She also now has a message board , so go on over & check it out. I did this lo for the sketch challenge at From Here 2 Scrapternity , which just so happens to be a 52 Sketches sketch. It is not my best work, however, what makes it one of my new favorites is that Emma helped me do the entire lo. From cutting the squares, to inking them, to using the tape runner, to cutting the letters from the cricut, to her most favorite part....stickles. It was really a lot of fun, & she had a great time helping Mommy.

I was scrapping a little this weekend. Not too much, but this is a cute picture I forgot about from when Emma was little. Don't all moms do this to their kids at some point or another? :o) This lo was created for a Note~able sketch challenge.

I am so excited to be chosen to be a guest designer for Scraptacular for the month of October. It is this wonderful store in Douglasville, PA. Beth is super, the store is wonderful, & the forums are "the" place to be. Lots of challenges & chats, & give aways. If you are in PA, stop by for cropping time or classes, or just to shop. If you are outside of PA, go online & check out her yummy products!! I have to admit that I have never scrapped anything for Halloween before. Fall, yes, but never Halloween. So, with this SPECTACULAR October kit, a fire was lit under me, & I finally did some Halloween los. Here is what I did with this fabulous kit. I feel I need to explain this next one. We had this humongous! spider (I'd say a good 5-6") on our deck last year. She was gorgeous. My dh, being the city boy he is, wouldn't go near it, & couldn't understand my fascination with it. (My father had always had us out in creeks & fishi...

Here is this weeks submission for Nuts About Sketches design team. She came up with a wonderful sketch again, & it was the perfect opportunity to scrap these pics. Check out her blog for some great inspiration & see the other great creations from my fellow DT members.

I had so much fun doing this lo. We had gone to Elmwood Park Zoo, & had a ball. It is a small zoo, but perfect size for my girls. The embellishments are cut from DCWV paper, & you can't really see it, but I pop-dotted them to make them stand up a bit. But my favorite part of this lo is the butterfly in the upper right corner. If you look closely, it is my daughter, Audra, poking her head through a cut out butterfly. I cut it out, pop-dotted it, & the wings kind of flutter. This lo was created for Nuts About Sketches bonus lo, & you can find it posted on her blog under the design team work, along with all the other ladies wonderful los!