Queen of the Crop

Hello!  Happy happy happy New Year!!!  As you are reading this, I am in Orlando, FL with my family, skipping around Disney!  We finally broke down & took the girls to the Greatest Place on Earth!  I am sure that they are having a wonderful time, & really wearing us out.  We met my parents there, so I am sure that they are getting spoiled as well. Anyway, Shawn, as usual, created a great sketch this week at NAS .  It was so much fun to work with.   This is of Emma at 2 years old.  She was helping me make a cake, but I think she ate most of the batter!  You can see it dripping from her nose in the bottom picture. So cute & funny.    Thanks for stopping by today.  I would like to wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous new year!  See you next year!

Hello!  Happy New year week!  If you are reading this, on Sunday, the 30th, I am in Epcot with my family!  We finally decided to make the trip & take the kids to Disney.  Tony has had his nose in a book or online planning out each day we are there, & has it down to a science.  I surely hope that nothing stands in the way of his plans, because he will be really upset if something messes them up. :o)  I can't wait to tell you all about how our week was, & how much the girls enjoyed it! Well, today I bring to you another challege from the Red Carpet Studio .  The CHALLENGE: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Anything Goes - Anything "sweet" The SPONSOR: Vampire Craftin - http://www.etsy.com/shop/VampireCraftin PRIZE: Blog makeover! Custom made banner, blog button, background and signature, along with installation help.  Today's challenge, the entire design team participated in, cards & layouts. With that being said, I decided to do a lay

Merry Christmas Eve!!!  I hope that this day finds you in good healthy & happiness in this joyous time of year!  I hope that all of your shopping is done, & that you are gearing up for a nice vacation, time w/ your family, & celebration of the birth of our Lord & Saviour! Today at NAS another awesome 2 page sketch was posted. Be sure to stop over there to check it out, & see all the creativity flowing over there.    This page is of Emma & our old dog Charley.  This is also a sad layout as we had to leave Charley behind in PA.  He was always the protector of Emma, & she just adored him.  He put up with her hanging all over him, tugging, pulling, & shoving him.  He was such a good dog!    I do believe that I used Basic Grey paper on this as well, with some random tags that were in my stash.   Thank you for stopping by today.  Again, have a very Merry Christmas!!! 

Awww!  I just loved this sketch from NAS !  It was so much fun, & the Basic Grey paper that I had was perfect for it, too.  (Like how I just jumped right in today, lol).  Anyway, there is a new sketch over at NAS today, & as usual, it was an awesome one!   As I mentioned, I used Basic Grey paper & embellis on this layout.  It is of Emma & her cousin Nicholas when they were not even 1 yet.  The reason I said Awww, was because they were sooooo close!  Their eyes just lit up when they saw each other.  Then we moved to TX.......  So the title/saying, it is quite fitting, because they were awesome together, & now they are apart......   Awwww!   Thank you for looking at my creation today.  It was so much fun creating, & brought a tear to my eye writing this post.    See you soon.

Welcome to the Oh Christmas Tree Blog Hop, brought to you by the design teams of Made Especially For You and Red Carpet Studio ! Today the design teams of Made Especially For You and Red Carpet Studio have teamed up to share with you all sorts of Christmas tree projects to help you get ready for the Christmas season!  If you're looking to start at the beginning of the hop, please visit Ashley 's blog. If you've come from Dawn' s blog, you're in the right place! For today's hop, I made (with a little help from my friends at Archiver's )...  I stamped, I embossed, I colored with actual stamping markers....all outside of my comfort zone!  Thank you, Archivers !!  We have some wonderful sponsors giving away prizes to those who comment on every stop of the hop! Paper Piecings by Nikki $15 Gift Certificate SK Digis $6 worth of digital stamps Participants have through Sunday evening to hop. The winners of

Hi there!  I hope this day finds you well.  I bring to you today another creation from a NAS sketch.  I love 2 pagers, & don't do them much any more, so it is always so much fun when Shawn sends one my way.    This layout is of Audra's first visitors at home after she was born.  They are of my Aunt & Uncle, & my cousins, & their daughters.  I remember how Audra just stared at my Uncle.  We all giggled at it, & I know that he got a huge kick out of it.  I think she still may stare at him funny today.  ;o)   Well, that's all I've got for you today.  I hope that you are having a glorious day!

Oh my goodness!  I know that I have mentioned before that I am very challenged when it comes to stamps.  Well, this week at Red Carpet Studio, the challenge is sponsored by Crafty Sentiments , who creates digital stamps.  She provided several snowman digital stamps for the DT to use this week, &  I have to tell you that I am really loving using them!  Here is the card that I created for the challenge this week:     My friend Courtney let me use her markers for this stamp, so that I didn't have to break out my girls water colors this time around.  Thank you Courtney!  I used a small circle punch to created the notches in the red & white cardstock, & used paper & embellishments from the November Memory Works kit.  I am really starting to dig digi stamps, that's for sure!!!     Alright, for some reason, this post didn't go live on Sunday like it was supposed to either!  I have no idea what is going on with my blogging lately.  Maybe it is the

Good morning.  How are you today?  Did you have a good weekend?  I surely hope that you did!  I cannot believe that we are in December already!  22 more days until Christmas.  Almost an entire year since we moved from PA to TX.  It seems like just yesterday!  Boy time goes fast!  Today at NAS a new sketch was posted.  Of course it does not disappoint.  I hope that you stop over there & see the great sketch for yourself, & also what my fellow DT members created with it.  Here is what I came up with:     Audra was watching me type up this post, & she doesn't like this layout at all!  She gets embarassed about her hair that day, but what does she expect?  It was crazy hair day!!!  lol.  It was cute & she was not the only one that had crazy hair that day.  It was at her preschool here in TX in May.    Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope that you got a kick out of my layout.  I won't tell Audra if you laughed!  ;o)  

  Good morning, how are you today?  I would like to share with you my creation for wonderful sketch #80 at Sketchabilities .  The minute that I saw this sketch, I knew exactly what paper & picture I was going to use!  I have to tell you...that RARELY happens to me.  I usually have to dig through kits & pictures to figure out what I am going to use, but this sketch was perfect for what I had in mind!   The picture is of Tony & I, right after boarding the ship, when we went on a cruise for our 10th anniversary in 2011.  He didn't want to pose w/ the "Statue of Liberty", but I made him.  What is funny about looking at these pictures is that I have lost soooo much weight since then, that it doesn't even look like me anymore.   It was a great sketch to work with, & I had fun creating with it.  I used a kit from Memory Works .   Thanks for stopping.   Enjoy your day!!

As I am setting up my blog posts, I realized that I used the same paper line/pack for a lot of my past few weeks layouts.  It was Basic Grey, & it was a line that I picked up at the CK convention.  Love Basic Grey!  Today another great sketch has been posted at Nuts About Sketches.  You already know how I feel about her sketches, so no need to gush about them, yet again.  If you don't believe me, head over there & see for yourself.  These pictures are of my sister giving Emma a bath.  This was the first time that Dawn had bathed a baby (I think), & as you can tell by the bubbles on Emma's head, she was having fun with it!  Thanks again for stopping by my blog.  I hope that you enjoyed my creations. See you soon!

Well hello there!  I hope that you are all settling after your Thanksgiving.  Did you have to break out your elastic waisted pants?  Did you do anything exciting, or stay close to home?  No matter what you did, I hope that it was fantastic!  We drove to Florida to my cousins house!  My cousin that I have reconnected with since moving to TX.  His sister, & my parents also made the trip.  Honestly, it was a fabulous time!!  Thank you, Joseph & Amber, for inviting us to celebrate Thanksgiving with you & your family!  We had a great time & are so thankful to have you back in our lives!!! Today, a new card challenge was posted over at Red Carpet Studio.  The challenge was to create a black & white card.  How much fun is that?  I love the contrast of black & white.  Now I used a combo of off whites & a hugh of grey in there, but I think it turned out ok:   Here is what I created.  I used Basic Grey's Little Black Dress line, & some random ribbon t

Check this out!  Another awesome sketch is posted over at Nuts About Sketches.  It doesn't matter if it is a one page sketch or a 2 page sketch, they are so much fun to work with.  This layout is of my oldest, Emma, right around her 1st birthday.  She is with my husbands Aunt Maryann (his God mother).  She had come & stayed with us to help celebrate Emma's birthday.  To this day, Emma loves Aunt Maryann, & talks about missing her quite often. Maybe she will come visit us in TX sometime.....  Love Aunt Maryann! Thank you for visiting today.  Have a great week!

Hello! I have to tell you, I LOVE designing for Sketchabilities !  Karan posted another wonderful sketch today & it was just so much fun to work with!!!  You really need to head over there & check it out & play along!  You'll be happy that you did! These pics are of of Emma at 11 months old.  One day I just followed her around & was amazed at everything that amused her.  Like finding a baby picture in a magazine & then "talking" to it. Being amused by light shining in from a window, & how she wiggled out of her pants.  The innocence & that bald head!  Thank you for letting me share my creation with you.  I am glad that you stopped by today.  Hope to see you again real soon! Enjoy your day!

Good Monday morning!  How are you today?  Did you have a good weekend?  I surely hope that you did.  Mine was quite quiet!  Tony took the girls camping so I had the whole (quiet) house to my self.  I went to dinner w/ my neighbor on Friday, ran to every craft store in Katy, TX with another friend on Saturday, crafted a wee little bit, then went to dinner, again, with my neighbor.  I also cleaned, did dishes, did laundry, & worked a little too.  So, it wasn't all fun & games, it was just much quieter.  The funny thing about them being gone is that I get up just as early as if they were here!!  Why is that?  Oh well. Anyway, another fabulous sketch is posted at Nuts About Sketches today.  You should go & check it out.  Shawn never disappoints.  Here is what I created:     These pictures are of Emma at a little over a year old. We had gone to the Elmwood Park Zoo, in Norristown, PA.  She loved the animals, & loved playing on the playground that is there, al

The Red Carpet Studio challenge this week is a card challenge - create a masculine card. Anything goes! This week's challenge is inspired by old western films. A Western films is defined as a movie set in the American West that embodies the spirit, the struggle and the demise of the new frontier . It's hard to think of westerns without thinking about Gary Cooper, The Lone Ranger and, of course, John Wayne. A few popular westerns include "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", "Young Guns", "3:10 to Yuma", "Dances With Wolves" and "High Noon".   Red Carpet Studios  fabulous sponsor this week is Dude Time Doodles ! They are giving away a $10 gift certificate!  So be sure to head over there & submit your card for the challenge!   Here is what I created using one of the fabulous digital stamps from Dude Time Doodles :     What fun!  I am a little green when it comes to stamping, let alone digital stam

Ooops!! I am a little late in getting this posted today.  I totally thought that I had all of my posts scheduled through the end of November, but it seems that I missed a few!  Oh my! Well, today, over at NAS , Shawn posted another beautiful sketch.  I just love those sketches.  They are so much fun to work with!    These pictures are of Emma when she was 10 months old.  In the back you can see our dog Charley, & our cat Jakey.  I miss them so much!  & look at how stinkin' small & cute Emma is!  This was the stage where she was pulling herself up on everything.    I used Basic Grey paper (I think I used that kit all the way down to scraps!  I love that paper!), & all BG emellishments as well.   Thank you for stopping by today.  I love that you were here to visit.  Have a wonderful rest of your week.  Until next time.  :o)

Hello! How are you today?  I hope that this finds you well! Today, there is a fabulous new sketch at Sketchabilities !  What fun was this to work with!  I love love love flowers, & this allowed me to just layer them all over the place!!  What a fun fun fun sketch!  You need to head on over there, check it out, play along, & maybe win a prize from our great sponsor this month.  These pictures make me giggle.  They are of Emma the day after her 1st birthday!  (she is now 7 1/2!!).  I remember her bald head & her wobbly little legs.  Oh how stinkin cute!  This is one of the reasons that I love scrapbooking.  It allows me to remember the years past!  I used Basic Grey paper, & Petaloo Flora Doodles flowers from various color packs. Thank you for allowing me to share my layout with you.  I hope that you enjoyed it! Have a great week!

If you are here for the Red Carpet Studio blog hop, please click here . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good Monday Morning to you! I hope that you had a great weekend & are ready for this week!  Halloween week!  Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year? Sketch #237 is up over at Nuts About Sketches .  She is really into circles this round of sketches.  But they sure are cute.  Here is what I created with this weeks sketch:  In PA, we had a dog named Charley.  This is from when Audra was learning to walk, & she lost her balance & fell into Charley's water bowl.  She really didn't know what to do, so she just sat there.  And me being the good mother that I am, grabbed the camera instead of helping her out!  lol.   I think I did this when she fell into the toilet too.  Mother of the year!  right here!!! I hope you enjoyed this layout.  It certainly was fun working with. Happy Halloween!!!!

If you are visiting for the Red Carpet Studio Blog Hop, please click here . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, hello there!  How about this?  2 posts in one day!  The Red Carpet Studio has me pretty busy this week!!  The wonderful blog hop is going on right now, so be sure to play along if you haven't already.  Also, today is the next card challenge.  The challenge is:  "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" - Create any card featuring a pumpkin or other element of Hallowen (basically an anything goes Halloween card challenge - if you don't celebrate Halloween feel free to make a fall card with a pumpkin) SPONSOR: Fresh Brewed Designs - http://www.freshbreweddesigns.com/ PRIZE: 3 digis of the winner's choice SPONSOR BUTTON: Here is the card that I created for the challenge:   I used papers from the October Memory Works kit.  Such a fun kit, & loaded wi

Welcome to the ABC Ransom Blog Hop,  hosted by  Red Carpet Studio !   If you've come from Stephanie J's  blog, you're in the right place. The Red Carpet Studio designers thought it would be fun to host a mystery blog hop while showcasing projects that can be made using all those leftover letters in your stash - hence where the "ransom" comes in. Ransom notes play a huge role in mystery/suspense films, and are often created out of random letters cut from magazines, newspapers, etc. in order to disguise handwriting.  While we won't be doing any kidnapping or holding anybody ransom today - we do have some creative projects to share with you! For my project using leftover letters in my stash, I created...   I used letters from a leftover Thickers pack, & used them to frame around the girls picture. I just randomly placed them to form the frame.  I used Basic Grey paper, & embellishments, & some random buttons & o

Hi y'all! How are you?  I hope that you are doing well.  I am really missing the fall weather here in TX.  This is the first time in my entire life, that I haven't experienced fall weather.  The nip in the air, the smell of fall.....Hmpfh!  Don't get me wrong, I am loving TX, but I surely am missing PA right about now.  With that being said, I have been scrapping up a storm!  Shawn posted a new sketch over at NAS today, another great one, & this is what I have come up with. These pictures just crack me up every time I look at them.  When Tony & I went on our cruise last year, we stopped in St. John, Canada.  We did a tour, then walked around the city a little.  We came across this little OLD store & museum, & out front they had these sculptures of people.  I told Tony to go stand next to one, & the next thing you know, we are laughing & having a great time.  They made for some fun pictures. If you haven't already, head over to NAS &am

Hello there! I can't believe that it is the middle of October already!  Where has this year gone?! Another reveal has taken place over at Sketchabilities . Another wonderful sketch has been posted.  What fun  these are to work with!   These pictures are of Audra at 8 months old.  That whole first year of her life, she was the happiest baby.  She never cried & was smiling all the time.  (that all changed once she hit 1!!).  She went through this stage where her tongue was out all the time.  It was so cute.  But these pics are of her in all of her glory, having fun & being cute. Hope you have a fantastic day!!!

Hi there! Today another fantastic sketch is up at NAS !  Her sketches are just so much fun. You will never guess where these pictures are from!  lol.  If you guessed the cruise that we took in 2011, you are right on!  This was at dinner one night.  I like my hair in this picture.....I am in the process of growing it out, so it kind of makes me want to cut it all off again! I hope that you have enjoyed my creations.  I know that I have fun making them!  I would have to say that I have definitely found my mojo! Have a great day!

This week's challenge over at Red Carpet Studio is inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds." Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" debuted in 1963 much to the delight and fear of audiences. The film portrays the quiet California coast town of Bodega Bay which has inexplicably become over run by huge flocks of birds. These birds terrorize the town injuring and killing many. In classic Hitchcock style the ending leaves you with more questions than answers.   Here is what I created for the bird challenge:   I used some new Basic Grey paper that I had bought at the CK convention in San Marcos a few weeks back.  You will see some los in the weeks to come w/ this paper as well.  I love it!!     If you haven't stopped by Red Carpet Studio yet, head on over there & enter your card using a bird for a fabulous prize from our awesome sponsor!  What are you waiting for, head over there quickly!   Thanks for looking today.  I hope

Happy Monday! Shawn has done it again!  She posted a wonderful double page sketch today at Nuts About Sketches .    When Tony & I went on our cruise in 2011, every night when we would come back from dinner, or our night "out", there would be these cute little towel animals on our bed.  We never knew how they made them, but they always put a smile on our faces.  The best part was the chocolate that came along with them!  :o) I hope that you have enjoyed my creation.  Be sure to stop by the NAS blog to see what the other DT members have come up with.  It is always fun to see how one sketch can prompt so many different outcomes. Have a blessed day!

Good Morning!! How are you today?  What is new & exciting?  Another sketch was revealed at Sketchabilities this week, & I had the pleasure of working with it for the DT.  If you have a moment, stop over there & see what my fellow DT members have come up with.  Boy are they are talented group of ladies!! These are pictures of Emma at about 11 months old, in her little tub that fit into the big bath tub.  She loved bath time!!! Thanks for looking!  I hope to see you back here again soon. Have a glorious day!

Howdy folks! What a fantastic day!  I am happy, & feeling on top of the world.  How are you this fine day? Another awesome sketch is up over at NAS !  If you have some extra time, be sure to go check it out. Look at my lil baby doll!  Emma was such a lil peanut (hence her nickname "Peanut").  I love those big eyes, & that bald head!  She didn't have any hair until the age of 2!  I loved it!  Now she is 7 years old, & her hair is red as red can be, long, & she always has to have a headband, bow, or flower in it!  How they grow up so stinkin fast!!! Have a wonderful day & hope you stop back soon.

Hi there! This week at Red Carpet Studio , the card team & the layout team are playing together.  Our challenge was to make anything Disney.  Seriously, just craft anything that had to do with Disney!  That leaves your options wide open!  If you haven't stopped over there, check out some of the awesome projects that the teams have made.  I saw a bank, a lantern, & some beautiful cards & layouts.  Be sure to play along for some great prizes. This picture was taken at one of the girls friends (back in PA).  It was a princess & pirates party.  There was crafts, & dancing, & games, & then when Cinderella walked in (accompanied by a pirate), the world stopped for my girls.  All they did was stare at her & follow her around.  They were in such awe it was so funny, as you can see by their expressionless faces!  I found some princess paper in my stash, so it was a no brainer what paper & pictures to use.  We haven't been to Disney....yet!  Th

And a good morning to you! How are you this fine day?  I hope that you are doing great.  I am so glad that you swung by today. Another sketch was posted at Nuts About Sketches today, & of course, it was another great sketch.  It was for an 8x10 photo, which I don't know that I have ever scrapped before, so this was a new one for me. This picture was taken one of the nights on our cruise in 2011.  If I haven't mentioned it before, our bill when we left the ship consisted of pictures & booze!  It think that we bought almost every picture that was taken of us!  I think that of all the pics that were taken of us, this might be one of  my favorite.  Looking at this picture makes me chuckle because I look so different now.  What a differnce a year can make (& 65lbs!!). I used supplies from a Memory Works kit. Be sure to stop by again soon.  I have been creating quite a bit lately, plus I love to have you!

Hello! Today at the Red Carpet Studio , a brand new card challenge has been posted.  The challenge is to come up with a Sci-Fi card.  Think robots, aliens, dragons, unicorns....or as what I decided to use, monsters.  As soon as I had seen the challenge, I knew exactly what paper I was going to use.  It is rather old, maybe 3-4 years old, but it is by October Afternoon.  I had gotten it to make a scrapbook for my friends baby,  for her "lil monster".  I loved this line so much that I bought 2 of everything!  While you are thinking of it, head over to Red Carpet Studio Challenge now & play along.  There is a great sponsor, with a wonderful prize. I hope that you like my card as much as I enjoyed making it. Have a good one!

Good morning! Another wonderful sketch was posted today at Nuts About Sketches .  As always, it was fun to work with.  Here is my latest & greatest: These pictures are of our old house in PA.  Tony had decided that he wanted to finish the basement, & wanted to do it all by himself.  It took him a LONG time to do it, but he did!  When we found out we were pregnant with Audra, he wanted to get it done before she was born, so he worked every free moment that he had on that basement.  When he finished with the drywall, he came up from the basement looking like this!  However, that is the place that we spent the most time as a family.  Playing, hanging out, watching movies....All of his hard work paid off, & it was money (& time) well spent.  He was so proud of himself too!! Thanks for stopping. I hope to see you back soon.

Good morning! My first submission for the Sketchabilities DT was revealed this week.  I really really loved this sketch!  It was so much fun to work with & it left so much up to the imagination.   As you may or may not know, I am obsessed with baby feet!  They are so squishy & pudgy & pinchable!  I love them. So, of course when I had Emma, I couldn't keep them out of my mouth & I was always squishing them.  I have wanted to scrap this picture for almost 7 years now, & finally did!  Look at those cute baby feet!!! Thank you for stopping by today.  I have been so busy & have posts set up through the end of November, so keep stopping back! Have a fabulous day! 

Today is my second reveal for the Nuts About Sketches DT.  I am so thrilled to be back on Shawn's DT.  She does the best sketches, for great inspiration.  You are going to see quite a few layouts in the weeks to come of Tony & my cruise in 2011.  I came across of stack of pictures that I totally forgot about, so why not scrap them & put them in a special 10 year anniversary album.  So with the NAS sketch #230 I came created this lo: This is of what we saw when we were leaving the port in NYC.  Even though we had been to NY many many many times, Tony still took soooo many pictures.  This is only a few of them....he took a gazillion more & I narrowed it down to the best ones.  He was a little excited to get away just him & I, I guess.  ;o) As far as supplies that I used, honesly, most of them are from the paper that came with the album that I bought on board the ship.  lol.  Thanks for looking. Have a fabulous day!

Hi there! Today at the Red Carpet Studio , a Charlie Chaplin Pun Challenge has been posted.  You are to use a pun on your card.  Well, this was a tough one for me.  I looked through many magazines, searched the internet, even asked my husband, for the perfect pun.  I am not a stamper, so my cards are made from everything but stamps.  So, after all my research, & looking through my stash, I came up with this:  I had cloud paper, & the sun, flowers & tree were an overlay that I cut up, & the skunk....well, I found a coloring page online of a skunk & shrank it  & then used the kids water colors to paint it.  This was all a challenge, & I hope that you are up for the challenge as well.  Head on over to the Red Carpet Studio & play along.  There is an awesome sponsor as well!  Thank you for looking & I hope to see you over at Red Carpet Studio . Have a good one!

Yay!!!  Today is my first reveal for Nuts About Sketches since my return to Shawn's team!  I am so excited. It started out with a bang too!  What a great sketch.  A double page lo!  When I first started scrapping, the only thing that I would do was double pages.  I have since mostly scrapped single pages, so when she gives me a double page sketch, I love it!!!  This is from when Tony & I took a cruise in August of 2011 to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.  It was our 1st vacation in years without the kids!  This was us boarding the ship, then sitting on the deck as the ship departed from NYC.  Very funny picture of myself!  I have since lost 64lbs, so it is quite funny looking at the pictures from this cruise. The supplies I used were from a Memory Works kit, & some random brads that I had in my stash. Thank you for visiting! See you soon!