My Hero

What are heroes!!!  They are individuals we look up to for one reason or another!

One of my heroes is my son!  I have to look up every single time I gaze at him.  In the literal sense!  He's 6'5"!  James is so loving, funny, intelligent and just plain fun to be around!  He loves computers and is majoring in Computer Science.  I am so blessed to have him as my son!

This layout was my example for the 2012 October 4x4 Challenge at A Cherry on Top!  I love hosting this challenge as I talked about in the "Over the River..." layout.  I definitely like this layout!  I chose to use two papers from the BoBunny Cambridge line.

In the photo above you can see I cut one of the papers, flipped it and added a joint to get to 12x12 again.  Then I used the Cut-Outs paper to finish the rest of the layout.  I just love the Zipper Trim from this line, too!  So much so I've had to resist getting another package of them!

Be sure to come join us in this great challenge each month at A Cherry on Top!!!  Random winner receives a $5 Gift Certificate from me!

Family & Friends

I love loved Nuts About Sketches #238 and Nuts About Sketches # 241!

#238

#241

Shawn will let the design team use one or both sides of a double page sketch as our example to submit!  I really like that.  For the layouts below I decided I wanted them side by side in my wedding album.  A different take on using two sketches.  At the time I posted the layout to be used on the website I needed to get with Mom and my brothers to make sure I had the names right for my journaling.  Especially since my younger brother, Doug's girlfriend was in one of the photos.  I did this as we gather Thanksgiving.

I loved loved working with this sketch!  I had never seen an element like the top (diamond on it's side)!  I was intrigued and so happy with my results!  Awesome sketch Shawn!

I chose the left side to work with to complete my altered double page spread!  Shawn just produces the most awesome sketches!  Be sure to come join us on our creative journey at Nuts About Sketches!

I also have to give a great big shout out once again to Basic Grey for the Cappella line as it is THE PERFECT LINE to use for my great-grandmother's wedding dress I was so blessed to be able to wear!

Nuts About Sketches #250

I want to congratulate Shawn on reaching 250 sketches on her blog!  Totally Awesome!  Come check out Nuts About Sketches!

When I see Shawn's sketches I'm building the layout in my head with a photo(s) I have in mind.  This one totally befuddled me!!!!  Sometimes one just needs a little stress to get the creativity going when you are leaving in 48 hours for Denver to the National Western Livestock Show!  You also know you will be way to tired when returning on Saturday to get the layout done.  As I went through every photo I have printed out I had this sudden light bulb moment when I got to these photos.  Perfect!  I was clueless on what to do with wood grain papers until I thought of the cattle!  Now I'm hooked on them.  Since it was Miss Clout 390M and her 2009 calf Miss FJL Valencia I knew just the papers I wanted to use.  I pulled out my Paper Bakery Kits for October and went to work!  Two hours later I was done.

The papers in this kits are so stunning.  They come from the American Crafts Dear Lizzy 5th and Frolic as well as the American Crafts Amy Tangerine Ready Set Go!  Miss Clout is pictured in the lower right photo and Val is captured in the other four photos.  Val has since been sold to Rocking B Farms in Needville, TX. I get to see her all of the time as I'm at Rocking B monthly or Charlie, Sandy and Mr. Bill are at our farm!  Great friends and partners in raising Lowline Cattle.  We own bulls in partnership, flush cows at the same time to save costs, and in selling our meat via Farmer's Markets.  Val is now a mother herself with the birth of her first bull calf last spring.  I have to laugh as Miss Clout is one of those cows who I claim as "MY Cow"!  I make all of the decisions on who we breed her to.

The sketch is definite Eye Candy!!!!

Please come visit Nuts About Sketches for some terrific inspiration!

The Stockings Were Hung By The Chimney

Yay!  We are home!  What a terrific show hosted by American Lowline Registry at the National Western!  New National Champions have been CROWNED! This is a day of much needed rest.  I'll get my pictures in the computer and share some of them later this week!

I thought I'd get this posted before we get to far away from Christmas.  And keeping with the theme from last Friday's post about challenges this seemed the perfect layout to post.  There are so many challenges all over the web we can choose from and each and every one provides inspiration to so many!  As I mentioned last Friday I host two Challenges on A Cherry on Top's Message Board.  The second one is the Heritage Challenge!  I just love this challenge as it keeps me focused on getting close to 1000 photos 15+ years and older scanned in the computer and scrapped.  All of these photos are near and dear to my heart.  I just wish I had the time to focus on genealogy.

This was my example when I hosted the Dec. 2012 Heritage Challenge.

I believe this photo was taken in 1937 or 1938 when my mother was either 3 or 4 years of age.  When Carta Bella released their first line (Beautiful Moments) last year I became an immediate fan of the company!!!  Christmas Day was no exception and the entire line arrived in my home.  It was this page when I first saw it I knew immediately this photo belonged to this page!  I stitched the circle frame with outline stitch.  I loved the idea of a doily because my grandmother loved doilies.  I found the wooden candlestick ornament at Micheal's because of the candlesticks on the mantel.  A little stickles and glossy accents and the ornament became perfect.  My favorite tool I used for this layout was the Harlequin 6x6 Template from from The Crafters Workshop.  I used Tattered Angels Bronze Glimmer Mist and you can see the result just right of the photo.  This was my first time to use glimmer mist on Carta Bella paper and oh my was I happy at how the paper accepts the mist without warping it!!!!  Pure Awesomeness!!! A few other items and my layout was done!  Perfect in my eyes and so elegant!  As I studied the photo I chuckled when I noticed one of the candles on the mantel wasn't straight in it's holder.  Aghhh, even my grandfather who took the photo didn't pay attention to details.  Now I don't feel so bad when I take my photos, LOL!

I hope you'll come check out the challenges at A Cherry on Top Message Board!  We truly have a great time on this message board!

And just a little note about Carta Bella's releases at CHA, I'm blown away by Well Traveled!!!  My favorite of the new releases!

I so can see using this line for our trip to Denver!

Have a wonderful day!

Over the river....

This layout is a way back when layout!  The American Rambler Station Wagon definitely dates the photo.  Interesting that I learn the same month, November, I created this layout that Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney's father owned American Motors.  I wonder too, if this was one of those 'light bulb' moments in loading a car for the trip home from my grandmother's during Thanksgiving Weekend 1969.  Dad is definitely having problems with my brother Doug and the writing is all over Mom and my face.  Next time the kids will wait in the house type of moment, LOL.

As far as the layout, ugh.....it just didn't turn out like I wish it could have.  One of those "light bulb" moments of rethinking the colors I used.  LOL....."light bulb" moments all around.

I host two challenges a month on A Cherry On Top's Message Board.  I love hosting both.  They are my two favorite challenges I have ever done!  This is for the 4x4 Challenge I host.  The challenge is really simple.  You must use only two double sided papers (no more) and four embellishments (no more and no less).  Simple......well not really if you've never tried it!  I am amazed at the creativity that the ladies on the board come up with.  For this month  they all outshown me!  Be sure to check it out!  And don't forget the other wonderful challenges which are hosted by board members!  The message board is the friendliest and most supportive board I have ever been a part of!  

 

First Plunge

Seems kind of funny to work on a layout and post it in January for a wonderful day on Wrightsville Beach, NC.  Mom and I drove in August of 1987 to my grandmother's near Wilmington, NC.  This brought out from the recesses of my brain just what that trip by car with a six month old was like.  Not to mention in the middle of Alabama the AC goes out.  A geezzzz! Dee-Dee as my grandmother was named by my cousin Leslie when she couldn't say Edie just had to have a photo of Lynn in the Atlantic just as she did with my brother's and I when we were little. I added the journaling after I took the photo!

I kind of laugh looking at the big hair of the '80's looking at myself.  These pictures also make me realize how  fast I lost my weight after having Lynn.  Guess I was blessed in that area.  We had fun that day spending about 20 minutes on the beach so we wouldn't burn.

This is my layout for Nuts About Sketches #237!  Come play along with us!  The sketches are sure to inspire you to create!

Until next time!

Halloween 1988

How exciting we leave for the National Western Livestock Show!!!  Whoop!

Somewhere in a lower post I promised to catch up on my layouts for Nuts About Sketches!  So here goes, and look for two or three a week to get them up on my blog because Shawn's sketches are definitely something to brag about!

Halloween has always been a favorite time of year.  Maybe because my birthday is the day before and my dear Mother's birthday is the day after.  We tease each other and say 'Your almost a Witch!'  When you grow up with three days in a row of celebrating something it truly was a time when I was a child to look forward to.  I finally got around to posting my two beautiful children when they were little ones.  Lynn is 21 months and James is three months.  I think the biggest transition I see is in my ability to take better photos.  I'm more patient with myself in taking a photo.  I don't get in a huge hurry any more.  I've also realized I need  to turn that camera 180 degrees.  And I'm thinking about it enough I'm getting more portrait photos.

My two are cutie pies in these photos!  I just loved how this layout turned out using products from my September Paper Bakery Kit Club goodies!

And of course the Nuts About Sketches # 236 is a definite fun sketch to work with!

I have fallen in love with every kit Paper Bakery sends my way.  A great place for something a little different to challenge your mind a definitely a must view page!  oooo....wouldn't I love to be on their design team, maybe sometime in the future!  This month my Add-on Kit I subscribe to and then I couldn't resist the Project Kit I will present to my SIL when I arrive at their house for Thanksgiving.  LOL....don't worry she doesn't even know I blog!  In just a few minutes I'll have it hanging from their balcony and have a picture of it!  October Project Kit:

And this is this September's Add-On Kit which is still available:

Have a wonderful week paper crafting and don't forget to check out this week's sketch at Nuts About Sketches.

Radiance

I just knew the photo and products I wanted to use for this week's Nuts About Sketches Sketch #249!  Shawn once again provided an exquisite sketch to work with!

The photo is my great-aunt Laura, sister to my maternal grandmother  This is on the day of her second marriage  She is my maternal grandmother's sister  Taken May 1939, but no date on the back of the photo in my grandmother's writing.  Lily Bee Design products from Hello Sunshine and Lovely were perfect for this photo.  Aunt Laura really does look absolutely radiant.  The great rub-ons from Hello Sunshine were perfect for the title and journaling!

Last night I opened the February Sketches sent by Shawn!  Oh my gosh.....just can't wait until everyone gets to work with them!!!  Don't forget to check out this week's sketch and post your creations to the post!

Friend

I haven't written a post in like forever!  Two things I have decided I have to do this year!  Blog more often and call my friends more often!

We are off to the National Western Livestock Show in the great city of Denver on Wednesday!  We'll get to see all of our Lowline friends and some great cattle competing in the National Lowline Angus Show.  Our Australian friend Margo Hayes will be in attendance this year at the show and we are looking forward to meeting her for the first time in person.  I look forward to her insights into the Lowline as a beef breed.  As Texans not use to snow, we are delighted for the second time in as many years to have nice weather!  A great plus since we stall in the Pens.  None of our cattle are going this year as our entire show string is much younger then last year and we worry about their immune systems.  My new Nikon D3100 will be in tow and I hope to get a huge number of great photos.

The real object of this post though is a first for me.  The first time I've taken on a challenge from one of the many companies of the wonderful scrapping products we so love!  I have always loved Imaginisce products, but have been clueless how to work with them.  Bright, fun, cute has always been a block for me.  I always try to work outside my box.  I love deep rich earth colors, they are my comfort zone.  The solution was to go to the Imaginisce blog.  The design team has absolutely amazing projects!  A few dollars later and I was scrapping!  I began to realize I really could scrap with their products when I dived into the challenge!  The challenge each month supplies a sketch from one of the design team members plus a twist to the sketch.  Diana Fisher supplied the sketch and the twist was using blue somewhere in the layout and use one word to describe your outlook for the year!  I had so much fun with the sketch!  I flipped it due to the photo orientation and chose the word friend!  Goes hand in hand with calling my friends more often this year.

And this is the sketch!

  The photos were taken by my lovely daughter Lynn a couple of years ago.  I absolutely love the Sole Sisters line!  Thank you Imaginisce for the great inspiration!  I look forward to even more inspiration in the coming months!  I have become hooked on your products!  Especially the new Childhood Memories line!!!!  It's definitely coming to my home!