Winter Time is Indoor Scrap Time!

What a dreary day in our neck of the woods.  Seems the norm for this winter.  On the bright side we are but eight days away until Valentines day!  Valentines Day along the Upper Texas Coast is the day you Spring prune your roses.  I absolutely love my roses and the year round flowers.  Although they are not happy campers this winter as we have had too much rain.  Only my miniature roses are happy campers as they are under the eave of my home thus slightly less water.  My other spring chores for this spring is to go through the entire storage spaces and purge like crazy!  I start this coming week with our closets.  Larry wants to start on building the house at the ranch.  We just haven't cleared out the I do not need this stuff in 10 years.  James took care of the garage last year purging stuff!

I have been busy busy working on the display for the Lowline Booth for the International Room at HLSR.  Making sure Larry stays on a low low low fat diet.  What spare time I have had I have been scrapping for SBC Scrapbook Challenges.

Sketch #426 totally threw me for a loop!

Then Brynn gave me clue, she's an 8 1/2x 11 scrapper.  So I deconstructed the sketch and came up with this.  No journaling as this layout gores in my son's scrapbook for him to journal.  Totally didn't like it but it is ok if one doesn't like what one creates.

Next Challenge from SBC!

I absolutely loved  James' wonderful picture of our cat 'Q'!  When we adopted her from Second Chance Pets she came with the name "Q-Tip."  Yuck!  So promptly shortened!  So I needed a quote, well it's a never ending chore vacuuming behind "Q's" never ending huge amount of fur she leaves behind.

'No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat and no amount of masking tape can ever remove his fur from your couch.'  ~ Leo Dworken

Until Next Time!

SBC Sketch Crew

I started out the year like gang busters on Blogging!  Then it all came to a screeching halt on the 9th!  Larry had a gall bladder attack and spent a week in the hospital!  I spent all but one night with him.  On morning #2 I awoke with a sore throat and headed straight to the doctor.  The hospital's greatest number of patients were there for #1 Pneumonia and #2 the Flu!  Even though I had no fever my doctor gave me a round of really high powered antibiotics because of my now living at the hospital.  In the last couple of days I have finally gotten over that bug!  Larry is doing fine and will find out today when his surgeon will schedule his gall bladder surgery.

Just before this all happened I applied for SBC - Scrapbook Challenges Design Team!  Whoop!  I made it!  There are some fantastic creativity flowing in this group of ladies!  It has been a lot of fun getting to know the ladies who are on the team!  So stop by and have some fun with the terrific sketches and challenges Brynn creates!

I love love that I have spent every spare minute at my table this month!  I am still working on the Kathy Orta mini album, Also included are my design team work and Larry's Christmas Present is just about done, the Basic Grey Calendar!

I pulled my Counterfeit Kit Challenge January Kit to create my first two layouts for SBC!  The second layout will be shared on a later post next month.  Sketch #425 was right up my alley and loved working on some older photos!  My show steer my Senior year FFA Project along with a couple of other friends with their steers!  Dirty, Messy, was my theme and I think I hit the nail on the head so to speak.

SBC Sketch # 425

I especially love the Challenges for SBC!  My first mood board challenge and one I truly loved!  The colors and quote remind me of a spring thunderstorm in Central Texas.  I had no photos printed of the multitude of photos I have of spring storms.  I had one printed of a fall storm so colors didn't match.  I really need a photo printer!  Shifted gears and found a photo that seemed to pull me towards the mood board in the colors and eclectic nature of the sculpture and mood board.  I spent about 20 minutes just studying this sculpture!  Some older Heidi Grace papers were perfect!

Now back to my table.....it's calling me!  I am loving all the inspiration!

My Favorite 2013 layouts!

There was a post on message board I am active on that asked for you opinion of what were your favorite Top 10 Creations for the year.  Since I wrote my response I wish I could have added more.

I thought I would post my favorites from 2013 today and my thoughts!

I think I will start with the two courthouses I worked on this past year and still working on!

I have enough layouts in the first of many albums that I needed a title page for the album even though I still need to completely photograph three of the five counties I have lived in.  So far to date I think this is the best photo I have taken of a courthouse I have photographed.  I've only photographed or partially photographed 18 courthouse and six or seven I need to return to because of renovation work.  This is Anderson County County Courthouse.  I know the pink azalea doesn't match the papers!!!  But....Texas' official colors are red, white and blue!

If my mind serves me correctly this was a layout I did after putting together a kit for CKCB.  Older stuff and really wanting to add just a hint of mixed media application.  This Brazos County Courthouse.  The only photo I took and I took several to make sure one turned out well.  Since ;under construction I will return probably this summer on a Sunday morning since the Bryan/College Station area is a zoo!

For this photo I got kind of warped in my thinking trying to be humorous.  I asked Larry to take me down to the courthouse on Christmas Day, 2013.  Actually I was hoping to find a nativity scene!  Sadly not but Van Zandt County did in 2013 and Houston County had one this year.  Both counties with suits brought against them.  Van Zandt won their lawsuit and the State of Texas will help with the suit brought against Houston County.  Honestly I am tired of the "intolerance" crap that goes with religion in this country.  Get over being offended people.....I am never offended by your practice or lack of practice of religion.  What I am offended by is your treading on the Constitution!  And true atheists and agnostics are benevolent people who don't tread on other's belief systems!  'Nuff said on my politics.

I did find something though not often seen today but so much a part of my childhood.  A fallout shelter sign!  It was fun to scrap it alone!  Oh....and the other thing I found at the courthouse.....yep on Christmas Day somebody locked Santa in the Courthouse.  I wonder if Santa got in trouble and was waiting on a judge?  Stay tuned for that layout!!!  Maybe sometime this year!

I also started to scrap Project Life last year.  Once I ran out of photos in March I didn't print any more.  I have no idea why....just didn't but I love how fast it is and how I proved I could keep up!  Once I get done with the mini I plan to catch up!  I wasn't a big picture taker this past year either!  And so far not this year either!

Of all the photos I scrapped for the Life Photo Display at Mom's Birthday this was my favorite one and made the list of Top Ten!

This is an 8x8 layout which was just an amazing work in my mind.  I do not often fussy cut except G45!  There is so much goodness to fussy cut in Raining Cats and Dogs!  On top of that the Prima wood veneer matches the dress the little one is wearing on paper!!!

This is the last one I will share and it too, made my Top 10.  I just love it!

Most of the layouts I did for Mom's party were 8x8 and this one was, too!  I loved what few papers I had purchased when the original Times Nouveau came out and had just scraps left!  It was also my first papers from G45.  With the Collector's Edition it was a given and must have!  I will probably regret not buying two!!!  As I scrapped this photo of my Great Aunt and Mother I was stunned to see what I saw between papers and photo.  The car in the photo has the exact same styling in the photograph!  My Aunt Betty's coat almost the same styling as the model to left of photo.  How sweet to have 1930's period specific papers to go with a late 1935 photo!  Love it!!!

Until next time!

My Favorite Things

As I thought about this post the song sung by Barbara Streisand came to mind, 'My Favorite Things.'  I have way to many favorite things in my Paper Crafting Addiction!  My absolute favorite thing in paper crafting are mini albums.  They truly make me Happy!  The mini's I have created have all gone to someone as a gift.  I have drooled over hours and hours of videos on You Tube of beautiful mini albums.  My favorites are ALWAYS done with Graphic 45.  I am a see and do creator as I personally don't have a creative bone in my body to use a cliche!  I have taught myself to be creative and I still have what I call disasters occur!  I rarely throw them out, as I want to remind myself not to do what I did.

My favorite mini albums are ones created from scratch with chipboard.  A scrappy friend last summer discovered such minis and she lead me to numerous videos.  In fact in my groups monthly crop in June she spent almost the whole crop watching videos.  She describes herself in the same way I do, a see and do person.  As I dove into hours of watching videos and still watch them I decided the best thing for me was to purchase a Kathy Orta tutorial.  I am sure I will purchase many more until one day I will just sit down and create my own.  The album I chose was the Lapbook 2.

  

I promptly made a mistake in the construction but I so love the result!!!  I put a page in before adding the wallet feature.  Yet I found another place for the wallets that works perfectly!  As we say, mistakes can sometimes be beautiful!  I plan on using the same mini for two additional albums for Christmas presents for my brothers!  only this time the wallets will be in the correct place and the mistake will be added, too!  I just need one more set of papers for them. I even got bored one night and quickly constructed the second cover now waiting for the paper.

The current album is for a very dear friend who is about to become a Grandmother.  In fact her granddaughter's due date is today!  I should be done with the album in the next three weeks.  What a fantastic interactive album!  Nana can share with her granddaughter as she gets older!  I can see the picture in my mind of my friend with her granddaughter on her lap as 2-3 year old enjoying looking at her photos and listening to Nana's stories behind the photos!  The perfect line for the album is Graphic 45 Baby to Bride Collector's Addition!

I can't wait to show it off when I am done!

The second album will be done with Bo Bunny Altitude for my youngest brother's family who are avid skiers!!  Love this collection and delighted with Bo Bunny's addition of stamps in their lines!

The third album will be made with Graphic 45 Sweet Sentiments for my other brother.  I thought a spring album perfect for them with the celebration of Easter in mind which is perfect with how involved they are in their church!

As always I think way to far in advance!  I just love love the Kathy Orta Contessa Album!!!

And there are many more tutorials I would love love to have!!!  I just have to see where I am by the end of 2015.  Kathy is an amazing artist!

January Kit for CKCB!

I have spent the last half of 2014 really missing participating over at Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog!!!  With Mom's 80th birthday, I was creating her birthday most of the summer and fall.  I love making my own kit from my stash!  I have been going over the top large!  Yet again, I am in the middle of creating for a friend and I need some me time creating for me.  I forced myself into a quickly put together a kit to do several things.

Small kit!!!  I did it....it's small!

Enough embellishments to make me happy....did that, too!

Keep my 12x12 papers to 6 or under....did that, too, with five!  I do have lots of coordinating scraps!

Well I did remember I had a 6x6 paper from Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic

At the same time I allowed myself one thing to go overboard on....I chose three alphas sets!

Best part it all fits nicely in a 13 x13 Ziploc with room to spare!

Now with that all said, I reserve several things I can use in my creations:

1)  Cardstock

2)  Flower Stash

2) Inks, mists, paints, twine, DMC Floss

3) Stencils

4)  Dies

I seem to be in a real matting mode of late with photos and just in general wanting more dimension.  I think it is due to working so much with G45 for Mom's birthday.  I also just stocked up on cardstock!  Couldn't miss the deal HSN had on Bazzill.  I've purchased two boxes!

So what inspired me....first the colors and second was Angela with this comment on her blog!

I need to get some serious stash busting done this year, and the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog is one way of getting that stash combined into up to date, fashionable, and appealing craft kits.

Thank you Angela

My Kit!

So where did my mind go for the kit.....after the paper......I needed some gold and I am not a foil, glittery, silver or gold person....then remembered I had some of the Pink Paislee Luxe Rubons.  Then the rest came quickly together!  I can get a fun layout from my kit or a wonderful detailed layout!

Thank you for stopping by and consider playing along with the Counterfeit Kit Challenge!

Until next time!

Yeah.....Smile!

I promised to scrap a layout using SBC  Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #347!!!

Although I admonished my adult son who took this photo heading into Houston since he's attending University of Houston, I still couldn't help but laugh.  It had been a long time since I had seen someone alter their "FORD" on their truck!  Then again....that large a "FORD" is no longer on the tailgate!

Super easy super fun sketch to work with for a photo that will always lighten my day.  Loved using Basic Grey Highline to work with the sketch.  It is such a happy line!

  

Until next time!

Happy New Year's Eve!!

This evening Larry and I celebrate 29 years ago at the stroke of Midnight he asked for my hand in marrage!  Time definitely just keeps flying!  We spend our time at home on this evening!

For the last day of 2014 still taking a break from the mini album I have two layouts on the table.  I have one of James' photos that brings back memories that always made people laugh!  When I printed James' photos to scrap for him I died laughing and decided to wait for the right line to scrap it with and the right inspiration.  I found it yesterday going through the Scrapbook Challenges website, Sketch #347.

The line I chose to do this layout is Basic Grey Highline!  I just purchased this stencil which will work perfectly using a little Gesso and Art Anthology Dimensional Paints!

The second layout on the table is a photos of the Throckmorton County Veterens Memorial on the County Courthouse Grounds using Bo Bunny Liberty and Anthem as well as maybe a tidbit of Monte Paper Mill Patriots line.

Yesterday I finished and entered my layout in the A Cherry on Top's Becky Fleck Sketch Challenge #84.  Awesome Sketch!

I took lots of liberty on this sketch!!!  I used a single 4x6 photo a 4x6 envelope and one of those darling 7 Gypsies ATC File Folders instead of three photos!  Since it the layout has a frame I decide to build my own frame instead of  the way the sketch frames the focal point!  I love love the result!

The photo is of the North Face Elevations of  Throckmorton County Courthouse pre-restoration, with the courthouse empty awaiting start of renvovation.  It will be interesting to return and photograph the courthouse!  I have been following the renovation and the project just thrills me to watch the process!

I'd like to thank Suzassippi's Lottabussa County Chronicles for the photos below!  Be sure to visit her post as there are some other great photos of the restoration!

Before

After

The cupola was on the courthouse when originally built and how wonderful it is returned to this beautiful structure!

My wish is you have a Blessed New Year!