mint - teacher gift

Abby helped me make a gift for her teacher for her first day of Kindergarten - she was VERY excited (and a little nervous) to go Monday. She had a BLAST when she was there though and can't wait to keep going!

I used the Precocious paper Summer Twilight Sampler for this empty Crystal Light container. I LOVED the colors (even with the Andes mints) and thought they would work great on the container. I love Tessa's samplers because they come with ribbon, flowers, leaves - all in coordinating colors (so I don't have to think!). I found the idea for this online somewhere (I have no idea where I saw it now).


This month's Sparks challenge on Paper Smooches had the cutest inspiration piece - I LOVED the clustered flowers in the inspiration and used that when I was doing the teacher gift. I used the Paper Smooches Alphadot set - I LOVE this alpha set!!!!



Supplies
Stamps: Paper smooches alphadot
Ink: Tsukineko
Accessories: SU scallop circle punch, Precocious paper summer twilight sampler

Family of 4

I finished up this layout last week, then my camera died. It was DEAD. I got a new back-up battery and that didn't fix it right away. I had to leave both batteries out overnight, put them back in and it started up again (I was VERY happy at that point).

I used ScrapFit's workout #50 - be inspired by a book. Loved the layout of the cover and used that at my inspiration. Supplies
Paper: BG sweet threads
Accessories: BG kioshi stickers

Abby's many faces

It's been a long week... and it's only Monday night here. Abby started school this morning - she LOVES it. It was sad/happy at the same time this morning. She had NO problems with me leaving her at the school and was SO happy to be there! I was sad (only a little bit) because she looked SO little next to all the other kids. She actually had to test to get in because her birthday is mid-September and she missed the deadline for school - she passed and got to start with the other kids today!

The sketchy Thursday sketch had me stumped this week, until I found these pictures. They are from St. Croix - 2008 - I would ask Abby to show me a face and would tell her what face I wanted, she would pull all these faces anytime we asked!
Supplies
Stamps: MFT mini banner alpha, Paper smooches alphadot
Ink: Tsukineko
Paper: AC cardstock, SU cardstock
Accessories: MFT jumbo scallop die, PTI ric rac die

Bubble fun

Another fun triple challenge at Triplicate Trials Tuesday! I loved the color combo on this one - too cute! Found these bubble pictures from St. Croix and had to use them. Bubbles for Abby are FUN!
This is the first layout in a while that I haven't used pattern paper for. This is all cardstock. I stamped on the red to make it have a little "texture" and used a border punch to add a little to the page also. Dug out some crochet lace ribbon for the pictures also. Supplies
Stamps: Unity distressed dots, Paper smooches alphadots
Ink: Tsukineko
Paper: SU cardstock
Accessories: May arts ribbon, Martha Stewart border punch

waiting for Santa

I am late posting this for Sketchy Thursday. My camera DIED today. I'm SO sad! I have one more try tomorrow to get (another) new battery and hope that fixes it. If not... I might be getting a new camera body as an early Christmas present!

Pictures are from last Christmas - the Fire department drives Santa around housing to toss out candy. The kids love it (Abby hated the noise)

I'm entering this into ScrapFit's Weekend warm up also - to use scallops - I love scallops (and stripes and dots!)Supplies
Paper: AC cardstock, MME Lime twist life of the party
Accessories; SU/MS border punches

The love of a sister

I'll admit it, I'm slightly jealous that my girls are sisters. I grew up with brothers - I never got the chance to have a sister who would play with me, tell secrets to, play with my hair, help me get ready for dances, etc.. I'm glad that my girls will have that chance (hopefully when Abby is 16 and her sister is 12 - they will still like each other!!!)

Abby is constantly wanting to hold Lexi. I think it's adorable when she looks at her and kisses her (then she gets bored holding her)Supplies
Paper: SU cardstock, EP be mine dp
Accessories: EP be mine stickers, MS embossed scallop edge punch

They both fit

Since Lexi was born, Abby keeps trying out everything that I get our for Lexi. Everything. Including the Bumbo seat that Abby hasn't sat in since she was 1 or so. Is it sad that my 4 (almost 5) year old can FIT in the bumbo seat? The girl is little! I got a picture of Lexi in the seat also - the difference is amazing - Abby looks SO big now

I used a sketch from Sassy lil' sketches for my page - it was a fun sketch and worked great with the pictures I had. Supplies
Paper: AC cardstock, BG kioshi
Ink: Tsukineko
Accessories: bakers twine, su scallop circle punch

Back to school!!!!!!

We have a back to school challenge this week on Scrap and Stamp. I pulled out some photos from Abby's preschool class - this was her first year at preschool (I still haven't printed last years photos...)

I found a CUTE sketch on the October Afternoon blog and pulled out some Modern Homemaker paper that matched pretty well with my photos and got to work. I used some Unity stamps on my page too - this was a FUN 2 pager that I finished.

Supplies
Stamps: Unity learning year by year, following my heart, picture perfect
Ink: Tsukineko
Paper: SU cardstock, OA Modern homemaker
Accessories: MFT jumbo ric-rac die, nesties

Big helper!!!!

Abby loves being a helper to her dad when he's here. She asked him one day if she could help mow the lawn and wants to help out each time he's out there now. Lexi was 2 weeks old and Ryan knew I needed a little time without Abby all over her sister, so he took her out to help with the lawn - I HAD to get pictures of it! I still laugh at her outfit that day - her dress and x-tra tuff boots along with the ear protection.
I told him that when he's gone, I'm going to send her out herself....
Supplies
Paper: SU cardstock, Echo park country drive
Ink: Tsukineko
Accessories; Echo park country drive stickers

Triplicate Trials Tuesday #6

I found a new challenge blog - through someone who played along with Scrap and Stamp - she had linked up to the Triplicate Trials Tuesday blog - looked like fun to me, so I joined in on their challenge #6. They give you a sketch, color combo and theme to work with each weekI printed some new pictures of Abby and Lexi - Abby still can't get enough of her little sister. Lexi doesn't seem to mind (other than when there is hair in her face) too much getting all the attention!

I finally used my Sew Easy on this layout - it was SO easy to use! I'm definitely going to be using it more (I don't normally sew on my layouts).
Supplies
Stamps: Unity July KOTM (pocket full of...)
Ink: Tsukineko
Paper: SU, AC cardstock, Echo park for the record
Accessories; nesties, sew easy, bakers twine

Once there was a snowman

I just ordered some new paper... I justified it because I HAVE been using a lot of my paper.... Um, sure. I "needed" it.

I have a ton of snowman pictures from Alaska - Abby loves to make them! This one even had a nose, eyes and arms! Normally they are just snow. I used the sketchy Thursday sketch for August 10 - along with some CUTE MME paper (lime twist life of the party)

Supplies
Stamps: MFT mini banner die alpha, Paper smooches alphadot
Ink: tsukineko
Paper: SU kraft, MME lime twist life of the party
Accessories: Martha Stewart edge punch, nestabilities

cute as a bug

I had a little time to color the other morning. Lexi woke up around 7 to eat, then went right back to sleep, SO instead of going back to sleep myself - I got a workout in and then got to color before both girls woke up for the day.

I used the WSC sketch this week and colored up the MFT Ladybug PI. The PI paired with some Dots and Stripes Metropolitan from Echo park turned into a pretty cute card (I like it anyways)Supplies
Stamp: Ladybug (MFT)
Ink: Tsukineko, Copics
Paper: Dots and stripes metropolitan (echo park)
Accessories: PTI button, crochet flower (thanks mom!!), MFT open bracket border

waiting

This has to be one of my favorite layouts I have finished recently. I LOVE the pattern papers today - I don't normally use this many patters on one layout, but love how it turned out. I even combined 2 lines from MME for the layout - Lime twist life of the party and happy go lucky.

I used the sketch on the MME blog #26 along with the prompt from Scrapfit weekend warm up #11 - use flowers.

I saw this flower on the MME blog a while ago - LOVED how she used the twine to crochet flowers for her layout - so when my mom came up to visit, I put her to work crocheting for me (much easier then learning to do it myself)Supplies
Paper: MME Lime Twist Life of the party, Happy go lucky
Accessories: Happy go lucky twine, unknown brad, AC thickers, EK success binding edge punch

family

I found some photos from a dinner we went to in December 2008, we were all in short sleeves and shorts that night. That is the only thing I miss about St. Croix - don't have to pack a ton of clothes (although I was covered in mosquito bites from that night). All the restaurants are outdoors or have outdoor seating and this one decorated at Christmas.

The sketch is a sketchy Thursday sketch and I used some Echo Park paper for my layout. Supplies
Paper: SU grey, EP walk in the park
Accessories: EP walk in the park stickers

all the cupcakes

This cupcake looks yummy to me! I made this card the night of my birthday (Friday) - both girls went to bed early and I got to play in my craft area while they slept - it was a great present to me from them!

I used the Jolinne sprinkles on top from MFT - she's colored with copics and the cupcake has glitter on it (it wouldn't photograph well)Supplies
Stamps: Jolinne sprinkles on top
Ink: Tsukineko, copics
Paper: BG out of print
Accessories: stickles

one layer - paper smooches

I had a little fun making a one-layer card last night using some NEW paper smooches that arrived the day before my birthday. I had a relaxed birthday - the girls and I hung out at the house all day - dd1 was sick, so we couldn't leave. I got an email from my husband and heard from a lot of my family/friends.

I LOVE the rabbit from the A little lovin set from Paper smooches - it's TOO cute! DD loved it too and I had to stamp it for her to color on her paper. She loves using my copic spica glitter pens - she uses them more than me! Supplies
Paper: Neenah cardstock
Ink: Tsukineko, copics
Stamps: A little lovin - paper smooches

friendship

This week at Scrap and Stamp we have a Friendship challenge - scrap some friends - not too hard! Make sure you use a stamp and link it up for your chance to win a Jillibean soup clear stamp!

My layout is also being entered in the Dare To get Dirty challenges at Splitcoast - don't know about them - read about them here. Aren't a fan club member? Why not, join up and play along! If you are a fan club member - join in on the challenge here Supplies
Stamps: Unity July 2011 KOTM .... better together
Ink: Tsukineko
Paper: SU Kraft, Bo bunny petal pushers
Accessories: SU black dotted scalloped ribbon

Abby

Abby didn't like that I did a scrapbook page of "only Lexi" the other day and wanted me to scrap her "modeling" pictures, so I pulled one out tonight and had some fun. I need to remind Abby that she has almost 4 years of "just her" and I have scrapped one page of Lexi so far....

I worked-out along with the Scrap Fit workout #49 - put a banner on it and used some Echo Park Country Drive paper (it was the only paper I could find that matched her dress, sort of)Supplies
Stamps: Unity July 2011 KOTM .... better together, MFT mini banner alpha
Ink: tsukineko
Paper: AC cardstock, EP Country Drive
Accessories: MFT mini banner day die, SU top note die, EK success border punch, SU twill

Paper smooches sparks!

It is my birthday week (yes, I celebrate the whole week) this week and I ordered myself a few presents last week so they would be here in time for my birthday. I ordered some new Paper smooches stamps, then realized that the last ones I ordered had not seen ink.. I remedied that and played along with the paper smooches sparks challenge on their blog. For the first card, I used a sketch and a color combo - It's not my favorite, but it turned out pretty cute (how can it not with that CUTE cow?)
The second one I just used a sketch and Paper smooches stamps.
Supplies
Stamps: Paper Smooches chubby chums
Ink: tsukineko
Paper: (first) SU cardstock, Echo park dots and stripes (second) MME Stella Rose Gertie

princess shirts

I have a hard time finding matching shirts for the girls - it would have been easier if we had them closer together - but finding a 5T and a newborn size that match is difficult! Abby LOVES matching with her sister and keeps asking for matching clothes. The MFT guest designer contest this month is to Embellish yourself - make something you can wear or accessorize with. SO - I pulled out my MFT stamps and got busy.

Abby helped me pick out which stamp she wanted on the shirt - she picked the princess - because she is a princess... along with her little sister. I stamped the princess on the shirt and the onesie, heat set them with my heat gun and colored them both with copics so they match. Abby "needed" bows to go along with her new shirt, so I pulled out some felt and the MFT perfect petals trio and got to work. I layered the felt flowers and added a button on the top before adding them to the clips.

Supplies
Stamps: MFT Princess PI
Ink: Palette
Accessories: T-shirt, onesie, heat gun, copics, MFT felt, MFT perfect petals trio, buttons