My Fancy Pants in the Color Room

It's Thursday and another release day at the Color Room.  This month, Maja Design is sponsoring the Color Room so the inspiration photos are based on its paper collection. 

I chose to do this layout using exclusively Fancy Pants products, and almost all of it from the new release: Wave Searcher.  I took Lydell's sketch as a starting point and have been looking forward to posting this project finally!  I adore the more earthy colors of the Wave Searcher collection, a nice break from the more traditional colors associated with sand, beach and water collections! 

Here are a couple of close-up photos of the layout. I love the printed chipboard pieces for easy embellishment, and I did some machine stitching, and even rounded the corners with my 40 years old sewing machine, not too shabby! :)

Speaking of Fancy Pants, here's a peak of a layout that is posted on the Miss Fancy Pants blog :) My right cheek looks really puffy but we'll wait to critique that problem when I post it here, lol. 

We are headed out to eat at Baja Sol tonight!  I am super excited!  I know it's pathetic, but we only eat out probably once a month!  I told DH that perhaps we eat out more often, I wouldn't gorge myself so when we do, lol.  Hopefully I won't be too stuffed, there is BodyPump tonight!

Always, There's a Favorite

There's always a favorite in a pile of gifts.  She really liked this blanket.  As I scrapbooked this page with these two-years old photos, I was actually glad to realize that I hadn't seen this blanket in a loooong time!  I don't really want to know where it is right now.  The last thing I want to see is it being dragged around the house, picking up and then spreading dust everywhere :)

I know typically, most Christmas projects get displayed on blogs the month of December, but I almost never scrapbook Christmas photos during that month.  For that matter, Christmas photos are tough to scrap any time of the year because they are usually indoor with poor lightening with lots of clutter :)  So for me to say that this is a favorite page so far this year is pretty huge! I just loved the process of making this page and how it came together for me in the end, yay!

Here are a couple of close-ups of this layout.  I absolutely love the Fancy Pants chipboard piece and the kraft die-cut.  This is also my last page as a regular member of the Work in Progress Kits.  I have enjoyed my year and half as Trish's design team member and I am very excited for the change of direction she has planned for the kit club!  She's been in the kitting business for five years and continues to have a great pulse on the industry and the business!  I know she will continue to deliver amazing kits for all to enjoy!

Well, the lovely weekend is well under way.  I already had the pleasure of going to cardio kickboxing this morning and left at least 600 calories on the studio floor! So, time for cake I think ;) 

Doodlebug Sweet Love Giveaway

Happy belated Valentine's Day everyone! This past weekend, I used my Cricut and cut out 20 Valentines that Second Child could fold, glue a little heart, and write her name in it. There are twenty people in her room for whom she needed to make Valentines. Four Valentines into the process, "Mama, so many of them, can you help me make them?" She got an undeniably stern "No!" Moments later, "Mama, I'm so tired. I'm going to my room to rest." UNREAL! lol. She did get them done Monday night while directing her father in helping her. I was blissfully away at Body Pump class! :)

Here she is, look at that sweet face!  How could anyone say "No" to that eh?  Well, I find it very easy, lol. 

It's again Doodlebug giveaway time!!  Please leave a comment here and also at Doodlebug's blog to be entered to win the Sweet Love collection which I used here for this layout.

This little banner is from the glittered cardstock sticker of the Sweet Love collection.  I propped up the little banners using 3-d foam adhesive to add a little dimension. 

I do absolutely love the cute cuts from Doodlebug.  They are so easy and versatile to use, both for layouts and cards. Ready to be punched out and arranged on my projects, they are a huge time saver.  I also love the fact they are double-sided!  If you don't like the print or the words on side A, flip them over to use side B which has the shape outlined and nothing more!

Again, just leave me a comment here and at Doodlebug's blog to be eligible to win this bright and cheery collection Sweet Love.  Have a wonderful day!

Ikat Is Not an Apple Product

First thing first, Beth Hallgren, commenter 11, has won the Sweet Cakes collection, please leave me your email address so I can get your mailing address.

I fully admit that I had never heard of the ikat pattern before Lori contacted me for a layout for Creating Keepsakes. Thankfully, she had done all the research and pointed me to an etsy shop  Fresh Memories Studio that sells a digital kit with ikat patterns.  The result was this most expensive layout I have ever created because I had all the papers in ikat volumne one printed at Costco in the 12x10 size.  lol. Of course, I only ended up using three pieces.

It's interesting how this winter differs so much from the last one.  There's no snow on the ground so naturally there hadn't been any sledding!  It's been a nice break :)

As seen in Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.

Here is the page form the Creating Keepsakes magazine. You can see the various trending ikat patterns Lori found.  I'm so glad that I accepted this assignment even though doing "hybrid" scares me to death.  I was so nervous that it might not be ikat enough, but Lori loved it and I didn't have to change anything (very unusual) once I sent in my photo!  Yay!

This wraps up my weekend and it's time to go to bed!  Here's to a good week!

More Snow Fun!

For all the "no snow" we got this year, I sure have a lot of snow related photos to scrap!  There's a reason for that: mild temperature means I'm willing to go outside to take photographs! In this case, my dad was the one who rushed in to grab the camera. My mother was wearing her tennis shoes, hardly appropriate to be doing anything in the snow.  Notice not a lot of progress is made in the snow?  It's just for show! Let's face it, my parents cannot pass up a "Kodak moment!"  Where do you think I get it from? :D

And here are a couple of cards I made using this kit.  Similar design for both of them makes things easy!

These projects are created with the WIP Feb kit and here is a lovely picture of the whole kit. I am saving that diecut of January 2012 to use sometimes later when I have photos from last month printed :)  I feel as if not a lot of people still send their photos to be printed, but I could be wrong.  I do wish that I have a photo printer that works because there have been times where I would have really liked a photo or two for some projects. But... where will I put a printer?  Lord help me, my scrapbook room overfloweth!

Snow Angel

If every winter in Minnesota is like the one we are having this year, I would actually consider liking living here. Funny and not surprisingly, many people complain about the lack of snow this year including my kids.  I suppose they don't remember last year when we got one foot of snow every other week!  All I know is that I must count the blessings of this mild winter and brace myself because it ain't exactly over yet :)
Meanwhile, when it did snow here and there, the kids took advantage and gotten their share of winter fun! Isn't this a wonderful snow angel she made?  I used the February Work in Progress kit for this layout.  I didn't think all the distressed cream colors in the October Afternoon papers would look good with snow photos but in the end, everything seemed to have worked itself out! 

For the title of the  layout, I used the Winter Frolic cartridge. Isn't it great to not have to think up something clever, just use something existing already :)

Well, it's almost time for the big game. Let it be a close one for some excitment please :) I am most looking forward to the half time show and the Melanie Amaro Pepsi commercial! Now onto supper making...

The Color Room 95

Today, palette 96 from the Color Room will be revealed and here I am finally posting my layout for palette 95!  I have not kept this blog "hopping" so far this year because I am devoting several hours more a week to working out at the YMCA.  After so many years of on again and off again relationship with exercising, I have found my one true love: Group Exercise.  It is not a chore nor a dread.  I actually greatly look forward to spending time on the floor of the gym with fellow classmates and encouraging instructors!  I love it!

Onto my layout for palette 95, most of the patterned papers I used here is the Vintage Vogue collection by Collage Press Studio for Pink Paislee, except the bright reds come from October Afternoon.  I snatched up a package of Vintage Vogue around Christmas time when it went on sale. I just can't resist anything that Collage Press designs.

These are some decorative sunflowers DH planted a couple of summers ago.  They were very pretty and attracted lots of bees.  In fact, there is a bee on the flower on the top photo. As I type this... it's not like we plant the "regular" sunflowers for any purpose other than garden "decoration" either, but I guess we could have harvested the sunflower seeds, if only the birds didn't eat them first, lol.

Check out the staples/pins I used on this title.  They aren't really staples but that's the best way to describe them.  It is a new product by Purple Cows called Pin It. There are many decorative pins that can be used to literally attach embellishments to your project, or in my case, for decoration purposes.  It is a nifty tool that you can place anywhere on the project to set the pins.  Like I said, it's a clever little tool and cute pins!

It's Thursday and Body Pump night!  I can't wait to feel the "pain." :)  I will post some of my Work In Progress kits creations next time. I am really happy with my projects this month, so hopefully it won't be another six days before I update again!