Paper Miniskirt

Are you in an organizing funnel cloud?

2012-01-07T13:45:00.005-06:00

What is it about that last week of December that cause the organizational tectonic plates to shift into high gear and throw up the funnel cloud? I go from room to room and am on a purging fest -- bins that go to the Goodwill, bins that go to the trash, bins that I wonder if this will be the year that I get to a certain project. And usually about now is when I look at the clutter I've accumulated and vow that NEXT year will be different. I know my hoarding sweet spot: scrapbook supplies. And every year I swear I'm going to stop beating myself up about not scrapbooking as much as I feel I should, and just simplify and enjoy the process. Do something like printed books or Project Life.

There are a billion deals and steals out there on photo books and photo printing. Here are just a few that have come my way:

Enter promo code at checkout: S1KB-EU8F-EBTS-YXK955

* Offer valid for one–time redemption per member and valid for one free 20–page 8×8 photo book with hard photo cover. Any additional pages will incur a per–page fee. Offer not valid for licensed premium photo books or leather, padded or soft cover photo books. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Offer ends January 11, 2012 (11:59 P.M. PST). For more details, please click here.

And check this out for a free 8x10 photo canvas or $55 any other sized canvas. I saying I'm going to do one of these, but can't decide which photo!

Since we're talking about photos and scrapbooking: who does Project Life? What are your thoughts..do you love it...has it sat in a box? I keep thinking I want to do it, but that would force me to stop the hoarding of supplies. (would that help or hinder the problem?!)

Here's a great video on the founder of Project Life, Becky Higgins, explaining her mission. I am always saying how passionate I am about retrospection. But I can never put it into words as eloquent as Becky does here. So I'll let her say it.

If you're not familiar with Project Life, the main premise is to scrapbook the every day moments...your routines, your family's little events that make up our lives. Not just big things like milestones and birthdays. And it's not about big elaborate scrapbook pages. It is ONE album, ONE set of cards. Simple, right? Yet I still refuse to go the simple route and hoard a bazillion supplies.)

I've got a MAJOR cleaning up last year's stash of fabric sale going on at the Etsy website. Lots of 10x20s for $25-$29 each, or a choose your own grab bag sale: for just $58 you get to Pick Three! I'm listing them all weekend, so check back if you don't see three you like. I've got more than 30 to pick from!

Paper Miniskirt giveaway on the Ali Edwards website Friday December 2nd

2011-12-02T12:58:00.004-06:00

Hello from the One of A Kind Show in fabulous Chicago! Paper Miniskirt is among 600 fabulous artists and thousands of wonderful shoppers for four days of fun! Are you in the area? Email me for a free pass :)

I've got a giveaway going on today at the Ali Edwards blog. If you're a scrapbooker, you're sure to have heard of Ali Edwards. Even if you don't scrapbook, she's as fanatical about retrospection as I am, and is super motivating for documenting your everyday memories. Check her out! Leave a comment on her blog for a chance to win one of FOUR Paper Miniskirt prizes!

AND....I've got a great special in honor of the One of a Kind Show.... purchase a 10x20 magnet board at www.paperminiskirt.com, and receive a set of 4 Christmas magnets FREE with your order! Offer expires December 6, 2011. Purchase for the holidays today, and you're guaranteed to have them under the tree by December 24th!

If I had given Kim Kardashian a wedding present

2011-11-01T18:32:00.008-05:00

I feel as if Kim Kardashian and I could have been friends. I say 'could have', because she no longer has ties to St. Cloud (where I live), which she did with Kris Humphries (he is part owner in the Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurant in St. Cloud.) Kris brought Kim here twice. A few months ago I had this urge to go to Five Guys. A really strong desire to go pack up the boys and head there for dinner eat their delicious (Idaho!!!) fries. The next day, it was all over the news that Kim had been there around 4 pm and stayed for about 15 minutes. So, we're probably connected on some cosmic level.

If I had sent her a wedding present, I probably would have given her this frame:

Damask looks like her thing, and pink and black are pretty hip right now.

But now I think I'll send her this one:

Bright, bold and a little more fun for hanging the divorce decree.

One of my favorite bloggers for deals and all things crafty is a gal named Jessica who's blog is The Mom Creative. She is a fantastic resource for photo projects, photo deals and ideas galore.

Who are some of your favorite bloggers? I'd love to hear!

November is my birthday month, so look for specials coming up at www.paperminiskirt.com!

And according to etiquette experts, she should have sent it back to me.

Have you printed your summer photos?

2011-10-17T21:05:00.004-05:00

As much as I relish photos, I hate uploading them. Hate it. I've wavered between Shutterfly,Winkflash, Clark Color, Walgreens and Walmart. Currently, I'm on a Walmart kick. They are the cheapest and their collages are the easiest to make. BUT, I still can't figure out how to make them into black and whites. (Anyone know?)

Once I've uploaded all my photos, I sit and dwell over them, and want to make so many edits and crops within the editing software that I get overwhelmed. So I have to do it in phases. Upload...add them to all to my cart...choose the sizes...make collages. Some of you may be asking "Collages?" Yes! I LOVE collages! When I have a bunch of pictures from one event and just can't choose which ones to print into 4x6's, I tend to make a collage out of them. Its so easy to do, and costs the same price -- nine cents!! (Walmart price).

If you're ready to start working on your holiday photo cards, there are some great deals out there right now:

50% orders over $25 at Clark Color (code 11Ckicked)
60% canvas and six cent prints at Winkflash.com

I'm terribly sad that summer has ended. I had a great summer season, and loved meeting all of you and seeing your excitement and hearing where you planned to use your magnetic photo board. Remember...I always love to see photos of your magnet boards on the Paper Miniskirt Facebook page!

Peace, Love and Paper Miniskirts,

Kristi

Get a 16x20 magnet board for just $25!

2011-10-10T22:07:00.003-05:00

Today is a great day to stock up or start your holiday shopping!

Here is a link to the clip from the segment on Twin Cities Live today! The following three magnet boards are offered at 50% through Tuesday October 11th only! Get a 16x20 magnet board in one of the three styles, and an extra set of magnets for only $25. Shippping is just $5 for each board, and if you order three or more, shipping is only $10.

Here are the photos of the three featured magnet boards:

Brown and Creme

Black Twig

Christmas FaLALA

Don't forget to become a fan of Paper Miniskirt on Facebook!

2011-09-01T22:36:00.004-05:00

I wasn't really sad about kindergarten until I got the note from the bus company that read: "Pick up time: 7:49 a.m. Bus #2." Then it hit me. I just let my baby, my first born, get on a BUS with some STRANGER to be driven who knows where?!? I know the driver isn't a stranger. And of course, he/she will drive them straight to school. But it is the IDEA of letting my son go, on his OWN, off on his merry way to school. Without me. No more all day every day at home. I had a panic attack, envisioned standing at the front window, watching him hop on, turning around and waving....those long skinny-assed legs climbing the stairs, him waving out the window sitting on those big green high-backed seats. Suddently the future and the next 12 years flashed before my eyes, him getting on the bus year after year; getting bigger and more independent each year. Each September. Off he goes. Not. Ready. For this. He doesn't even know his PHONE NUMBER for pete's sake. And he still thinks the whole entire state, every single town, is called Minnesota. What if he ends up in Sauk Rapids and can't explain that he lives in ST. CLOUD?!? the only thing getting me through this is knowing that I will get to scrapbook some fantastic pictures. And planning what he will wear the first day. Of course, to coordinate with the paper that I've already bought.

Scrapbook Challenges New Year's Blog Hop

2010-01-03T17:24:00.016-06:00

I created the layout on the left following this sketch

at Scrapbook Challenges, a great website that hosts challenges, sketches, forums and a gallery.

To participate, start at Pamela's Blog here. They are giving away some fabulous prizes, my favorite being the new Origins Collection from Basic Grey. I am in LOVE with this new collection by BG. It is greens, and yellows and tans....LOVELOVELOVE it. And, just when I made my 2010 resolution to stop making my family eat Mac 'N Cheese and eggs so much because I buy too much scrapbook supplies, they come out with a beauty like this one. Oh well, I just have to hope that I win it. I have seen it in real life, and it is GOR-JUSS.

To see what others have created, go here to the Hop On page...

I created the title (black letters) with my Silhouette. I am slowly but surely getting used to that thing. After several months of ignoring it, followed by a shaky start, I'm learning. Huge learning curve with that machine, I tell you. But, I still believe it was better for my style than the Cricut. The pattern paper is all Stampin Up. Love it! I found it hidden in my stash after I did some major purging and rearranging.

Finally some layouts.

2009-12-21T17:08:00.004-06:00

The arrival of winter, snow and cold has brought with it some time for scrapbooking. Now that Sullivan is on somewhat of a more regular schedule, I have a few more minutes throughout the day. Oh, how that makes me happy! The following are the fruits of my labors:

"Fishing Men." I am working on summer photos. There will be lots of fishing layouts. Can't help it...it's all Zack did. This paper is from the Making Memories Boy collection - i just love it. You'll see it alot in the next few layouts. The inspiration for the layout came from a layout by Sarah Hodgkinson in an issue of Scrapbooks Etc.

My new plan to eliminate, or reduce some of the hoarding, is to complete several layouts in a row with a collection once I"ve started using it. Sounds like a good plan, right?

"Just Us 3." This is all supplies from Studio Calico's December kit. Photos were taken on Mother's Day this year.

"Fearless." Inspiration for this layout came from a gallery somewhere. I have ALL of this Fancy Pants boy collection. It is all just perfect - the colors, the journaling tags. The star stamps and the sun/journaling circle is from Unity Stamp Co's July kit.

I have so many photos of Zack sleeping, because I just LOVE his eyelashes. I can't get enough of them. Stamps on this one are from Unity Stamp Co's May kit.

This paper is more purple than it looks - an oddity for me to use that color. Flower stamp and journaling block are Unity. (can you tell what stamps are out on my table right now?!)

Two closeups that were taken at Valleyfair last summer. Zack's facial expressions were priceless.

And more fishing using that Making Memories kit. The brown letter are the felt stickers from Making Memories. This was the first layout I used them, as you can tell by the awkard shapes/placement. These little babies have a bit of a learning curve associated with them. They get pretty misshapen when you pull them off the paper, so you have to learn how to pull them off intact. Learned that little tid bit after this layout.

My Minds Eye manufacturer flower challenge

2009-12-15T21:10:00.003-06:00

I bought a Silhouette this summer. One day I woke up and decided I was going to buy one of the oh-so-trendy die cutter machines...either the Cricut or the Silhouette.

So i proceeded to do tons of research. Like, an hours worth of searching some of my favorite blogs, reading opinions of people who I've never met, but still somehow place the trust of my nearly $200 worth of precious money. And because I have nearly 1700 fonts, I chose the Silhouette. May as well make good use of those fonts. Never mind that I only ever really use about 8 of them over and over. I've got 1700 and that is what counts. She who dies with the most fonts clogging up her computer wins, right?

I unwrapped the pretty, pretty machine, hooked it up to the old, slow computer that now sits on my scrappin' table so it could be solely dedicated to the Silhouette and the many layouts I was going to create with it. I tried to make one title, and the durn thing wouldn't cut. I let it sit for 6 months. But I couldn't sleep at night because I was not going to let that thing get the best of me.

Well, one day I stumbled upon the Silhouette Yahoo group, and that has since renewed my faith in the ol' machine. I found out that I was using too thick of cardstock, and would need to cut it all twice. That tip has made all the difference. And now I'm happy again! There is a bit of a learning curve, but I know I"ll grow to LOVE it quickly.

Anyhow, this is a layout I did for My Minds Eye's blog challenge 6 to use paper flowers. I punched the flowers from a Sizzix die that has 4 sizes, then interchanged them all. The title was the first one that I have successfully used from the Silhouette (hence why I prefaced this post with that little story).

Christmas cards.....

2009-12-08T20:55:00.003-06:00

There are so many great products out there right now for Christmas crafts! I am in love with this set from Winter Swirls set by Papertreyink. All three of these cards use image from the set.

Christmas Calendar

2009-12-08T20:47:00.002-06:00

Here's another one of those projects I have wanted to do for years. The muffin tin literally sat in a corner of my scraproom, waiting to be used, for a year. It turned out really cute -- I used Making Memories' line of products -- but when I posted a picture on Facebook, my grandma pointed out it was missing the #22. Whooops. Guess I was too eager to get to the 25th.

Christmas banner

2009-12-01T09:47:00.002-06:00

I have wanted to make one of these for YEARS -- and I finally got to it. I liked it so much, I made two of them. One goes to Kari, I'm hoping she'll love it as much as I do. Hers actually turned out cuter than mine did. And, I've always wanted to wrap a framed photo like a Christmas gift, and I finally did that too! I"m still working on the items on the mantle, but atleast the banner is finished. More cards comin' up....

Two layouts, two totally different photos of the same boy.

2009-04-09T19:04:00.002-05:00

Oh, how I miss my little boy that wore that precious, precious floppy eared hat. Those lips! Those pudgy fingers! I bought that for him before he was even born, and KNEW it would be one of those photos that show up at his high school graduation. I remember the day we had those photos taken at Target in Boise. Three years ago! Then the stoic faced one is from last summer, at a carnival at Grandma's house. I think we were about to have his face painted.

Whateva cards gift set using Unity Stamps

2009-04-09T18:52:00.002-05:00

I had these chipboard stars, and decided today was the day they came out of the stash. So I started with those, then knew I wanted to use the little journaling block - I think it's from Laundry Line?? The 'whateva' stamp is the December kit of the month from Unity Stamp Co. I liked that these can be used for 'whateva' holiday you want. Ha. Ha.

Finally some good ol' fashioned scrapbook pages...featuring Unity Stamp Co. March kit

2009-04-09T18:45:00.003-05:00

I have mentioned before how great I think the Unity Stamp Co.'s kit of the month is. Well, it just keeps getting even GREATER and the March kit was to die for! There was this cute little fall stamp in there, that I had to add to this layout above. And the journaling block...JUST what I was wanting. I tell ya, there is something in the monthly kit for everyone! And at $25...well, hello, bargain! today I finally bought the distressed dots background stamp. I have loved this one for a LONG time, but I had an old SU! one that I thought "hmm, this works just as well." But, on a trip out to good ol' Crafts Direct, I had to get it. Ah, finally.

Unity Stamp Company tree stamp

2009-03-19T20:15:00.005-05:00

The challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers was to do a Unity Card with an oval on it. Since this is my current favorite stamp, of course I had to use it. I've been wanting to get rid of this yellow ribbon, so I made up as many cards as I could with the bit of it. And, I got to photograph it on my new floral frog. (idea courtesy of the famous Dawn McVey, who uses it all the time.)

Kristina's Color Challenge - Happy Birthday 2 U

2009-03-02T13:18:00.002-06:00

When i saw Kristina's color challenge this week, I knew the combination looked familiar. I had a strand of ribbon that i'd been waiting to find the right card to use with it. And - wah-lah! I also needed a male birthday card today, so this one is playing double duty.

Contests & Challenges - the results

2009-02-27T15:51:00.005-06:00

I enter a lot of contests. It keeps me motivated, and gives me a guideline with which to scrap. I never win, but that isn't the point. Well, it is, but it isn't. I like someone telling me: "do this sketch, use these products, do this subject." I like direction. I do well with structure. No structure = no do well. So here are a few projects that were made for some contests that can now be posted to my album.This was the first time I used the Hero Arts borders stamps. Love them. This layout was for a challenge where you had to use all stamps.

Love these October Afternoon papers - the pink with the red. So fun for winter. I need to print more things in black & white. It really does look great.

this one is a layout that I did about me, and how much I miss the adventure of being a flight attendant. It has a picture from when I visited the Great Wall of China in 2000 while on vacation in Beijing. ALONE in Beijing -- for 10 days -- what was I thinking?!?! I was young, single, so I WASN'T thinking. Those were the days.

This is a little gift box that I made using the Stampin' Up Top Note for the Big Shot. At the time, I HAD to have this die. Used it once. I think I may sell it. The words 'hey, Cupcake' are the new SU! rubons.

It's a Snowstormy Hip Hop!

2009-02-26T13:26:00.003-06:00

Snowing, snowing, and still snowing. Up to 8 inches today, they say. So, it is a great day for Unity's Hip Hop Thursday. I made two cards for the challenges:is one was to use light blue. I had just received the'bottoms up' stamp in my $8 grab bag -- 50 stamps! And only 5 of them were duplicates of what I already had. That's pretty good. Here is a stamp from the February kit... and the subsequent card

Mark's Paper Company blog candy

2009-02-19T22:55:00.004-06:00

Awhile back I found this new paper company, marks Paper Company.

they just announced a new design team, and one of their members is having a giveaway here: http://notleftstanding.blogspot.com/2009/02/who-wants-to-win-brand-new-collection.html Their papers look great online, so I'm sure they are 10,000 times better in person. I am hoping to find them soon!

You can also find them on Facebook. Man, what did we DO before Facebook? Like, email each person individually?!?! Yeah, that is SO 2007.

October Afternoon card holder

2009-02-18T21:47:00.003-06:00

Awhile back my mom said "I'd like something to put cards in. Do they make something like that?" And my brain went "hello! It's the altered box." So, I decided to make her one for Valentine's Day. I used the adorable October Afternoon paper.

(this is a view of the top.)

(this is a view of the front).

You know what this box is from? It is a Bunco kit that I was given awhile back. The only thing the box held was dice - like dice need this big of a box! So it's perfect for my card holder!

A little Jenny Bowlin card

2009-02-18T21:44:00.004-06:00

I bought a couple packs of these little 6x6 Jenny Bowlin papers awhile ago, and I've never used them. I decided to use them for a card that I made for a contest. I didn't win, but I love this little color combination, and will for sure have to use these papers more. This was also the first time I've ever tied a bow on cards. Now tht I know how easy it is, I'll have to do it more. I think I'll make a set of these for gifts.

Butterflies and t-shirts: Kristina's Challenge, finally!

2009-02-18T16:53:00.005-06:00

I haven't gotten back into my scraproom since we've been back from our 10 day trip to Wisconsin. Can I tell you how much I missed my scraproom -- my hands itched. One day, I took Zack and we went to Michael's just to feel normal. And then we went to Joann's, because that is what we always do when we're at home. Go to one, then the other. And, I found 40 packets of beaded fringe on sale - hurray for a sale - which will make lots of new frames. I am almost to my goal of 400. If you are in Minneapolis, I am going to be at the Canterbury Show. I have so many new fun fabrics - yes, they still are not on Etsy, but go there, add me as a favorite, and check back soon to see the fabulous Paper Miniskirt Fabric Picture Frames. On to the cards...I did this one for Kristina's Color Challenge. While I had the extra colors/paper, I decided to do a few more:

This is from the Unity Stamp Co December Kit Of The Month. I just got the February kit in the mail today. Can't wait to use that deer! (see photo below). I still can't believe it's only $25 a month for a stamp club. Wow. They are fantastic. And every month they send you a coupon for a future, separate order. They MAKE you buy more...dang it. Their style is so shabby chic, it is forcing me to come out of my square, nice and neat comfort zone and do some things more shabbily. Still working on that. This next one was inspired by one off the Hero Arts website, using Kristina's colors:

Then I dug out my Gina K stamps which I haven't used in forever - I'm still not ready to put away pink and Valentine's stuff...guess that comes with having a boy and never getting to use it...so I used the Basic Grey to make this card for my neighbor who is pregnant. She doesn't know what she's having, but I decided to make it a girlie card anyways. Don't forget to add Paper Miniskirt's page to your Facebook favorites!

Black and white and pink and red - October Afternoon

2009-01-30T22:24:00.003-06:00

I love this line from October Afternoon. I never would have put these papers together - and I certainly can't take the credit for choosing them to go together. They are the back sides of the paper. Amazing! I love the pink with the red.

These pictures were taken awhile ago - back when it was warmer out - as in, above zero. It was the last time we got out to play. Zack and I took a sled to the park and within seconds of getting out of the car he was grabbing snow to throw at me and flopping down on the ground to make snow angels.

Do you ever have one of those products where you just KNOW you are getting your money's worth?

2009-01-30T22:05:00.003-06:00

But since I NEVER pay full price, aren't I always getting my money's worth? I purchased this Martha Stewart butterly stamp awhile ago, thinking "but I have a boy...how can I use butterflies?" Ah, but I do! I have used this little ol' punch so MUCH. I love it! Am I butterfly overdosing?

Everything except the chipboard heart 'home' and vine, which are both Amy Butler, is from a kit from Scarlet Lime. The rest is SEI. Love this line. The kit is from September or October, and I've been hoarding it. Of course. Another product that I feel crazy good about is the rub ons in this layout. I bought a pack of them at the Hot Spot at Archiver's. I though it was two sheets, and the amount of vowels seemed adequate for the $1.99. When I opened them up, to my surprise, they contain FOUR sheets - a full upper and lowercase set - with extra vowels and extra r/s/t/l/n's as well. Huge value! Now I really regret not buying two. They are Heidi Swapp.

This is a photo of our woods in the fall; the journaling talks about how I can't imagine living any where else, and how much I hope we don't have to sell our house.

My Supah Hero

2009-01-30T21:55:00.003-06:00

If you have a boy, you get it. Boys just....do their boy thing. The noises. The crazy sounds. The make-believe. Turning every thing into a gun or an army guy. So, I had to do a layout on what Zack said the other day. This Spiderman costume has gotten me my moneys worth. (Purchased the day after Halloween 2007 at Target. Half-price, of course.) Last week he says "Mom....hey mom....get me my Spider man costume. I want to save the day. I'm a supah hero." How can I NOT scrapbook something so sweet?! And in the picture on the far right is him saying something he says ALL the time "loook at my muscles mom...look at my big muscles." (only he says it Muh-sohs.)

I had a little strip of the Amy Butler paper - the grey and white circles -left from another layout . Doesn't it look great with the blue? I love it. The little row of stars is from some Jenny Bowlin stuff I've been hoarding.

2 Sketches 4 You card of the week - embellished fabric flowers

2009-01-28T20:14:00.005-06:00

I follow this sketch website, 2 Sketches 4 You, and actually got the card completed within the time frame this week. I love these colors! The fabric is Amy Butler...i punched them with my flower die on the Big Shot, and sewed the button on. The vine on the right is Amy Butler chipboard. Butterflies are punched (still in the butterfly mode), pink paper is Stampin Up! and the green polka dot is the backside of October Afternoon's winter collection....forget the exact name, but I love it! And, if you like the fabric flowers, I have several sets for sale here, with many more that still need to be uploaded as soon as I get the energy to be on Etsy for a long stint at a time. It's way too fun to make them, but photographing them and entering the listings isn't as fun. If you could just come over to my house, I'd show them to you! Or, you can see me at the craft show in Minneapolis and Chicago in April. Find info on all that here.

LOVE + Basic Grey 'offbeat' chipboard

2009-01-28T13:32:00.003-06:00

I really wanted to make a circle card. I used my Creative Memories circle cutter to cut a circle with red and with white. I added the scalloped border to the bottom. I cut a small piece off the top and bottom, so you could see white above and below the red. I attached them with the pink ribbon. The letter chipboard stickers are from Target's $1 Spot. The hearts are from Hero Arts sets. After I showed it to sounding board of a husband, he said it looked like a skull had been cut in half, so I cut the white off the top and bottom. It looks better, but I still don't love the shape.

I do, however, love the Basic Grey line...the chipboard, the birds...I am hoarding a huge stash of this line. As I do with MANY of the BG lines. The tree stamp is from my new favorite, favorite of Favorites, Unity Stamp Co.

Hey Cupcake - Valentine's Gift Box from Top Note

2009-01-28T13:08:00.002-06:00

So, I had to buy the Top Note die when Stampin' Up! came out with it last year. I'm always looking for more ways to use my Big Shot - which I LOVE. I punched the two sides on chipboard and the new Stampin' Up patterned paper. I used the rubons from the Level 3 hostess set (set comes with a stamp set of 4, patterned paper and rub-ons.) The 'hey cupcake' rubon went on as smooth as silk to the SU! wide grosgrain ribbon. Then, I adhered each side to an empty box that some spools of ribbon came in. The butterfly rubon seems a little out of place, I know, but it needed something, and I'm on a butterfly kick. I stuffed some pink confetti in it, and will add some little candies for whoever I choose to give it to.

Inpsired Blueprints layout - What it means to be your Mom.

2009-01-22T09:36:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago I found a new sketch site, Inspired Blueprints. The post a sketch each month. I have been participating in the last several sketches, because I LOVE that it gives me a place to start. Someone has already done half the work for me! At first I felt guilty using sketches, like I was cheating. But I've gotten over that, and now use them all the time.

Valentine's Day Wall Hanging

2009-01-22T09:30:00.003-06:00

This large chipboard came in a page kit that I received at ScrapFest. I decided to make a Valentine's Day Wall Hanging with it. The center piece is made from the Top Note by Stampin Up! It is two put together, and the photo in the center covers the seam. My favorite piece is the second 'o'...it is a fabric heart punched from my Sizzix die and sewn onto a felt layer from the same die. You can find these flowers for sale on my Etsy website. this is an Amy Butler fabric. I am

working on getting all the flowers photographed and up for sale. If you don't see the one you like, check back! I'm getting them up as fast as I can.

I'm in love with a tree stamp.

2009-01-19T14:22:00.002-06:00

I have been searching for a tree stamp. The perfect tree stamp. These from Unity kept catching my eye on their website, and I thought they were cute, but small. Then last week I went to our LSS, the amazing Crafts Direct, and saw them there. And they. Were. HUGE. I snatched them with bated breath. I could not believe how big there were. They are now my favorite set for fall, and luckily, I haven't scrapped all my fall pics yet, so this set will get a LOT of use.

Kristina's Card Challenge

2009-01-17T08:22:00.002-06:00

The tickets came from a card from the Dollar Store - the entire front is made of these tickets, I just cut some apart. Hearts are from one of the new Hero Arts sets I'm still obsessed with. I love the orange Hero jewels!

Some random new cards

2009-01-09T09:42:00.005-06:00

I gathered up all my Valentine's things, and made my Inspiration Station. I just love doing that...putting everything in a basket for the holiday. I love having it all right there. I read the idea on someone's blog way back when. It really does make it easier to have it all in one place. And I found this cute piece of Basic Grey flowery pink and brown cardstock. So I made a few random cards with it. Something about this Luxe orange and green piece really moved me. Using the cheapy Michael's chipboard flowers, I used a strip from Stampin' Up's Olive polka dot, and came up with this:

Kristina's Color Challenge #37 - These are my kind of colors!

2009-01-09T09:34:00.006-06:00

Last week I made a few random cards. One used some Luxe paper that I really liked. Turns out, the card I made was kind of close to this week's color challenge! I took the chipboard button off, and added it to make this:

the chipboard heart and button were from Michael's dollar spot. I grabbed a couple packs when they were .60 - can't beat that price. The sentiment is from a new Hero Arts set that I just got. They are quickly becoming my very favorite stamp company. I think I've bought 4 packages in the last week. (Hello, 2009 budget?!?) Their images are SO crisp...and I now buy only "Made in the USA" polymer stamps. There really IS a difference.

Kristina's Color Challenge

2008-12-31T15:50:00.005-06:00

Hurray, I got to participate in the color challenge again. And great, bright, springy, non-wintery colors made it so fun! Here is the colors: and what I came up with: I was going to add the sentiment "for you" either hanging off the white ribbon, or under neath the 'happy', but it didn't work out. So, it stands as is. I like it, and think I"ll continue to use these colors since I'm in my 'get-the-heck-out-of-winter' mood.

What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?

2008-12-29T14:55:00.002-06:00

Isn't that the Million Dollar question? I made a couple sets of this card to give as gifts, for the first time using this set. I forget what it's called, but it comes with a couple other cute sayings.

Here is a layout I put together quickly yesterday, while all those Amy Butler/K & Co goodies were still on my desk. I also used the butterfly and bliss stamp from Unity Stamp Company's December kit. It is the first kit club I have ever joined. ANd, it is a fantastic deal - only $25! This documented the day we started potty training, back in July.

This was a layout that I did using some Chatterbox stash that I have. Before we moved from Idaho, I got to attend their warehouse sale. Oh, heaven. Needless to say, I bought enough stuff that they could cease making scrapbook supplies until 2072 and I'd still have enough to create layouts. But who's counting. I needed something bright and pink and cheery, so I chose their stitched borders paper pack. I think I'll have to use pink more often.

Tomorrow is the start of Crafts Direct semi-annual paper and stickers sale. How sad is it that I've been dreaming of tomorrow ever since I found out about the sale over a week ago? I. Cannot. Wait. Half-off all stickers and paper?!? It doesn't get any better. I love you, Crafts Direct. I really, really love you.

Finishing up my Amy Butler goodies to make sympathy cards -

2008-12-18T17:09:00.003-06:00

I took a K&Co. class at Scrapfest, and they had the BEST goodies in the kits. I had a ton of stuff left over, and decided I was finally going to use it. Here are three sympathy cards that I made. I also bought a big slab of paper with this line, so I'll have lots of it to use. It's the die cuts and little extra stuff that make it so fun!

Kristina's Color Challenge

2008-12-18T16:50:00.004-06:00

LOVE the color challenges over at Kristina Werner's blog, but I haven't participated in awhile. Since I needed to do a sympathy card, and also wanted to participate in a sketch challenge, I decided to kill THREE birds with one stone. Kristina -- this is the weirdo who was so shocked to meet you at Scrap Fest when I came out of the ladies room and you were standing right there. I came nonchalantly out of the ladies room, excited for my next class, and she was standing right there. I go "KRISTINA!" as if we were LOOOOOOOOOONG lost friends, and she looked at me as if to say "yo, crazy scrapbook stalker....Back. Away. From. Me." It was so weird, because here she was, live and in person, after being in my computer for so, so long. (And yes, the voices in my head DO talk back to me.) So, here's my FIRST interpretation, which I promptly decided I didn't like.

So then I made this one: which I DO like. I then made several other sympathy cards, which I"ll post next.

If I could have one wish? To be a contestant on "Survivor."

2008-12-14T20:16:00.003-06:00

I would give anything to be on it. But do I think someone is just going to walk up to my door and ask me to be in it?! Yes, I know, I do need to apply in order to get on. I just know I'd never be creative enough to do a 3 minute video, and get chosen. So for now, I dream. And I'm DYING to watch the finale. This was actually a very good season. Go Sugar!!!!

On to more scrapbook related news....I made a little decor today, while it was several degrees below zero outside. This cute little canvas piece was inspired by the totally talented Heather Nichols, who is TOTALLY scrapbook famous, and happens to reside in my town! She had done a little cute canvas project recently, and these guys were on sale for about $2. Had to try it. I don't love the bow I stuck on the left side, but I think I'll hang it on the wall in my studio. I also used Heather's own stamp set that she designed, Rustic Branches, which I absolutely love. Here it is:

The second little project I did was a door hanger from my leftover Basic Grey christmas papers. I shouldn't say 'leftover', if I've been hoarding 8-10 sheets of these letters, should I? How could I resist, when last year they were .99 at Archivers. I knew I needed a few sheets if I was going to spell anything good, since only 1 letter comes on each sheet. So here's what I made:

I am in the process of finishing up the recipe books that I'm decorating and creating for gifts. These are fun little books that have 10 of my favorite recipes. I should have those done tomorrow and will upload some pics. Off to watch Survivor!

Hey look, it's NOT a Christmas card!

2008-12-10T15:07:00.005-06:00

Finally, I created something that was not a Christmas card. But I'm not showing it to you yet!

I spent a few hours yesterday cleaning up my studio, putting away all the Christmas/red/green items and stamps, gathering up all the scraps of paper, etc. Where do you put all those little extras that you can't bear to throw away? It kills me to throw anything bigger than, oh....3x3? so it all goes in a bin, then I sort the bin by SU colors every so often. The pattern stuff just stays in there, gets buried further and further down as I add more to it. Vicious cycle, no? I think I am all done with the Xmas paper projects, now it's on to the wrapping (shopping is done courteousy of Amazon.com!) and baking. I made my baking list - not going too crazy, just three or four kinds of cookies - and plan to do the baking this weekend. I was so overwhelmed yesterday, thinking of all that I could do - gifts to make, baking, contests, scrapping, craft bazaars to enter...that I broke everything down into smaller bits. I put down 3 or 4 things to get done each day between now and Christmas. Today, I was done with my 4 items by noon, looked at the list and thought "oh, is that all?!?" I feel good about it, and much less overwhelmed.

Here's a couple pictures of an album that I have made, where I am going to add a photo every day from December 13-December 25th. That is the 12 days of Christmas, right? I've never done one of these, and am just now getting into mini albums, so I'm really excited to start. Each day, we'll do something winter/holiday related, and take a photo. I'm sure I won't get the picutres printed each day (really, let's not get carried away), but it will be finished shortly after. The tags are leftover from the Cosmo Cricket's Naked Chipboard stuff that I made all my ornaments from last year.

Oh, speaking of ornaments....here is my tree:

I found the greatest fabrics...more frames on the way!

2008-12-01T21:13:00.002-06:00

I've been spreadin' the Etsy love around, and buying my fabric online from other Etsy sellers. What did we do before the internet!?!? Hello...I don't even have to leave my house to get all this wonderful Amy Butler fabric delivered right to my door. One of my absolute favorite Etsy shops is The Fabric Shoppe. And what's cool is that she is also from Minnesota! The shop owner, Jody has a super cool blog where she features other crafty items (yes, she is an enabler) and cool finds. Well, she featured me on her blog the other day. Tomorrow is frame making day. The factory will be in full swing, since I have a show coming up this weekend. I just received 15 new prints, and I can't WAIT to put them together. For those of you who can't make it to the Battle Lake show, you can see them in my Etsy store later this week.

A few scrapbook layouts to share

2008-11-20T16:09:00.003-06:00

Well, I finally got the photos taken of my layouts that I did in October. But, I am still making Christmas cards and frames like crazy, getting ready for the show this weekend.

I hate the glare, I hate the poor, outdated quality of the photos. Blame it on the antiquated camera. I AM getting a new one next week with the money off this next sale. it's time for a new camera, dang it.

the "coolest job" layout has one of the layered felt flower embellishments that I've been making and selling on Etsy. My mom has been fervishly sewing them -- I've got some new oranges, pinks (a lot of Heather Bailey fabrics) ready to be photographed and uploaded to sell.

The "my life was normal" layout doesn't have any journaling yet. It will tell the story of how I casually mentioned that soon we'd have to cut our tulips (to put them in a vase). Next thing I know, Zack is out there with his little scissors, and has cut them all, right at the tip of the flower, leaving 15 long, tall stems standing there naked. But the look of immense PRIDE as he displayed what he had done was priceless. I couldn't be mad. I grabbed my camera.

And then came the snowmen

2008-11-11T21:03:00.002-06:00

I can't seem to stop making Christmas cards. Of course, it is that time of year. I'm trying to use up some stash, make a few dollars, and do something creative. Here are my latest ones that are for sale on http://www.paperminiskirt.etsy.com/

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

2008-11-04T18:56:00.002-06:00

Now that November has come, are you feeling the holiday rush/pressure/fervor? I am. All I can think of is Christmas cards. I made three new ones today for my craft show this weekend, uploaded them to Etsy, and have sold them all already!

I made two different ones with the Papertreyink set Rustic Branches. I love this set, and it is by Heather Nichols, who is a fabulous designer, and lives right here in my city. Needless to say, I've seen her out and about a few times, and have gushed like a Freaky Fan. In the first card on the left, I used my Big Kick to emboss a 4x6 piece of white cardstock with the Cuttlebug's little dotty folder. this was my first time using the embosser! And....I LOVE it. I love the feel of all those little popped up dots. and how EASY!

For the third card, I used the "Joy" stamp from the old SU hostess set Perfect Presentation. The patterned paper is from two year's ago, SU's holiday line. Gotta use it up. And, I used my 2" square punch, so no cutting is necessary! Gotta love a quick, cute card.

I am still working on the final touches of the 30 layouts I did at our scrapbook retreat two weeks ago. I didn't journal on any of them while I was there, which allowed me to get more done, but now I'm backlogged with journaling. Grrr. So, it is my plan for tomorrow to get those completed, photographed, and uploaded for all to see.

Custom Christmas cards made to order, just like McDonald's does it.

2008-10-15T17:18:00.005-05:00

Paper Miniskirt is gearing up for its first craft show this weekend. I've been tossing around the idea of doing cards for awhile in addition to my picture frames, but most people just aren't willing to pay the money, even though they'll pay $4 for a Hallmark card. Or $6, if you are my husband and go all out, thinking this is an ok thing to do when his wife has $82 billion dollars worth of stamping/cardmaking scrapbooking stuff at his fingertips. So I have come up with a solution. I am going to showcase 4-6 different cards - different stamp sets, colors, styles, and let the buyer choose from those samples. None of this starting from scratch, whipping up something new everytime. After all, when you go to McDonald's, they don't have 9 new sandwiches each week, do they?! No, you know that if you go on Wednesday or Sunday, the #1 Value Meal is always going to be the Big Mac. Hey, if it works for them.....So I started working on these samples today, and my first one was inspired by this card by Angie Tieman. I get her blog posts daily. I get about 60 blogposts daily -- and hers are usually the only ones that make me ooh and aah. Her style is very similar to how I like to create. Her lines are very clean and symmetrical, and not a lot of coloring, which is one thing I don't love.

Now, originally I made this card to stand vertically, but when I moved it the other way, I realized it looked MUCH better. So horizontal it is. Do you love the scallop circle? It is the 3" one. Now that's a big scallop. They've become an obsession, and punches seem to be what I spend my coupons on each week.

New favorite paper line

2008-10-15T14:36:00.002-05:00

http://websterspages.typepad.com/webstershome/2008/10/ready-for-more.html?cid=134880169#comments Webster's Pages!! They are deee-lish. I found them through Stephanie's website. And if you don't know Stephanie, you're missing out. This gal can SCRAP. She has the most adorable little girls, and does the sweetest, most raw, truthful journaling. And, her husband is deployed, so if you're ever feeling down, think of what she's enduring. I know I do, and I instantly feel guilty with myself. She is a true artist. Anyhow, back to Webster's Pages. They have a program where you take a form to your LSS and ask them to carry Webster's. If they order the product, and use your name, Webster's sends you a goodie box. And GOODIE it is! I received mine last week, and it was filled with journaling cards and paper. I am in LOVE. Zack's pages are starting to look a little more feminine, but I don't care. I love this stuff.

Altered Clipboard - Wanted Cowboy

2008-10-07T21:31:00.004-05:00

Here's one of the altered clipboards that I've been working on for my show next week. I've finished about 10 of these, all in different styles. This one used Stampin' Up's Wanted papers (now retired) and Cosmo Cricket's die cuts, which happened to match perfectly. Love when that happens. You can fit a 5x7 or two 4x6 photos on here. I plan to stick some photos on with removable adhesive so that people understand what it's for. I also will sell the easel's with them.

Dream Street Papers

2008-10-07T21:19:00.002-05:00

Here's a couple layouts that I made last week using Dream Street Papers. These were made on Zack's 3rd birthday last week. It was so weird to be doing this layout of him 2 months old, when he was turning 3 that day. I can remember having that picture taken at Target. It was one of the first times we were out all by ourselves, and he threw a fit afterward, spit up all over that outfit. Have you seen the new Webster's Pages paper? Ohhhhhh....cute. And, on their website, they have a little form, that if you take it into your LSS, and the store then orders Webster's Pages and gives you credit, Webster's will send you a gift pack. Well, I took it in to my LSS, and my gift pack arrived today. Gotta love free supplies. And these are CUTE. And they send a catalog, so you can order more stuff. Isn't that cool?!? I finally got my pictures uploaded at ordered from the past month at Scrapbook Pictures.com. If you don't have your photos printed here, you should. They have so many different sizes, and you can do b/w or sepia. AND their shipping is only $2. No matter how much you order. I love how you can crop the pics however you'd like. I usually spend a ton of time editing them once I've uploaded them. The whole process can take awhile, if you leave all your photos until the end of the summer live I have done, but when you get them in 4x7, or 5x5 size and they are just PERFECT for layouts, then it's worth it.

New Favorite Butterfly Stamp

2008-09-26T19:59:00.004-05:00

So, butterflies are all the rage, and have been for awhile, right. And, so many different companies came out with them, and I bought a few here and there. I finally decided to quit buying ones that I sortof liked, and do some research to buy the ones I LOVED. What did I decide? Hero Arts. I bought these before ScrapFest, and if I hadn't, i certainly would have after testing Hero Arts stamps in Jennifer's class. My absolute favorite....so many sizes, so many styles, and they stamp like PERFECTION. But then, while at the Crop Around Town at ScrapFest, they were putting out the new Basic Grey line, and I SWOOPED in and grabbed me one of these beauties. Hello, do you see that detail? This thing is HUGE...I think it's actual size on the screen. I've only used it once, on this layout: Do you think it would start to look funny if I used one of them on EVERY layout?!? I love it THAT much. So clean, so crisp. Hmmm.. Yummmy. I haven't had much time to post fun stuff, because I haven't been DOING any fun stuff. I've been so busy making inventory for the coming craft shows that I am in next month. I don't want to be doing it at the last minute, so I'm doing it all NOW, rather than doing fun layouts, then having to scramble. And I figure, since we're going to be at Leaf River Retreat the end of October, I'll have plenty to scrap then. this place is heaven on earth. If you leave anywhere near MN or WI, I highly recommend it. This will be our third time attending in two years. The group has changed some each time, but we always have a hoot of a time, eat lots, drink lots, and scrap lots. Love, love, love you, Leaf River Retreat. I would seriously live there, and like, mow lawn, or clean toilets just to be there every single day. Cutest house ever, most peaceful place ever. OK, so if you click on the layout, you get a really good view of how disgustingly dirty that life jacket is. This pic was at the very beginning of summer. I think it was the first time Zack wore this. I'm not sure if those were bugs, whatever, but he did get a small rash afterward. And now that I look closely, you can even see the red rash on his neck beginning. Such a smart mommy, aren't I?!? Did I really think something that disgusting WASN'T going to leave a mark on my child?!? Took a few days, but that rash went away. And then we got a new, clean lifejacket, and this one got thrown into the dirty boat to be used with Daddy.

Scrapfest hangover and why made in the USA stamps are so amazing!

2008-09-16T19:55:00.004-05:00

Scrapfest weekend. Holy tiredness. I feel like I got hit my the scrapbook bully and totally pounded on. Four days of scrappin', scrappin', and MORE scrappin'. Oh yeah, and scrappin.' This was the first year I went all three days, and boy am I glad I did. First off, I got to visit a ton with my fave friend Andrea. (hi cutie!) Day one I had four great classes, (Cosmo Cricket, Heidi Swapp and two others) and got to do a few make n' takes. Friday night was the big crop at Archiver's sponsored by Basic Grey. I got about 14 pages nearly-done, and am finishing them up today. Saturday Day two I had 4 more classes, all four fabulous again. Sunday my last class was with the adorable JENNIFER MCGUIRE. How cute is she?!? And seriously...if you think she's cute online, you should see her in person. What a great class, with some great tips, and even greater prizes and giveaways. Did I mention all the free schwag you come away with at Scrapfest? Well, ya do. I'm guessing my bags of stuff that I bought, and that I got, was over 40 pounds. Seriously. I had to take pictures so people would believe me. The first one is all the stuff that was given out during classes or won as prizes. Do you SEE all those stamp sets?!?!? Yes, that is one by Autumn Leaves, one Cosmo Cricket, one from Hero Arts... the list goes on. And on. And let me just talk for a minute about Hero Arts. I had only purchased one of their sets prior to Scrapfest. A cute butterflies in several sizes. I liked it fine. In the HA class, I learned this little bit of info: While many clear stamps are made in Taiwan or China, HA stamps are made in the USA. And stamps made in China are different than stamps made in the USA. A little material called photopolymer something or other, which makes all the difference. You know how sometimes with a clear stamp, when you stamp the impression, it looks kind of beady...kind of like you spit on the stamp prior to making the imprint...it's just not perfect? Yeah, well, that doesn't happen with these photopolymer/made in the USA stamps. And now I know why, whenever I saw a Hero Arts sample stamped at Archiver's I thought to myself "did they PRINT that sentiment, or how does it look so perfect?!" Now I know! And, now I am totally hooked on HA stamps! And then there is all THIS stuff. This came from the $1.99 Hot Spot at Archiver's. Yum. Yum. YUM. Love that place. And I feel so proud of myself that I only shopped at the $1.99 section all weeekend. Nevermind that I came home with more than 100 items from that little tempting place. How can you resist $1.99 rolls of 15 yards of Bazzill ribbon? Not me! That's why I bought 13 of them. Or $1.99 chipboard?!? Again...10 of 'em. Everything you see here - $1.99. Love you, Archivers.

2008-09-04T16:30:00.004-05:00

I needed to do a Congrats card for a friend who just got engaged. I decided to partake in Kristina Werner's color challenge to give me a starting point. I used a Stampin' Up set from the summer mini "all about spring", which has only been used for these 'bride to be' cards. I used mini crystals& marbles on the flowers. I had never used these before; a word of caution: they are VERY MINI. When they spill, they go EVERYWHERE and are very hard to pick up. Hee hee. I really wish I could tie cute bows. I've watched video of it, to no avail. Still can't do it. Uck.

Looking for a good book? I just finished "Skeletons at the Feast" by Chris Bohjalian. It. Was. Fantastic. I didn't want to put it down. It has several story lines, and intertwines the lives of a German refugee, a Scottish POW, and several Jewish prisoners during WWII. It was a whole different perspective of the Holocaust and the attrocities that went on during that time. Chris Bohjalian is one of my FAVE authors. Can't go wrong with him.

New Stampin' Up! good, good, goodies!!!

2008-09-02T19:01:00.002-05:00

I'm giddy opening my new 14 pound package that UPS just dropped off. Seven new sets, four rolls of ribbon, five new ink pads, and five packs of designer paper. Mmmmmmmmmmmm....yum.

New cards using new stamps!

2008-09-02T18:58:00.002-05:00

Here are my first two cards using my newest Stampin' Up! goodies. I received a BIG box (i'll post it) on Friday, and couldn't dig in until Monday night. Mmmmmmm....I'm LOVIN' the new stuff, and can't WAIT to do more! I think my new favorite is Kraft cardstock with white ribbon, so I'm sure you'll be seeing more of it. It just looks so crisp and classy, doesn't it?

Layout of the week...

2008-08-25T09:29:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share a layout that I did last week using some new Chatterbox stickers that I got at the Dollar Store. (isn't it so fantastic when you can get yummy scrappin supplies at the dollar store?!?!) It was chosen as the layout of the week at http://memorableseasons.com/. This is a fantastic website that I found a few weeks ago that has some great talent on it. I love the gallery there, and they have lots of cool challenges that they issue to keep you motivated and give you a starting point. At least, it gives ME kind of a starting point. Check them out.

Olympics Hangover.

2008-08-14T22:19:00.005-05:00

It's a real condition. The local news termed it. Hit the nail on the head. I laughed when I heard it previewed; they were going to do a story on it, following the men's gymnastics competition. I set the DVR to record it, but since gymnastics ran for 8,000 hours, my DVR didn't pick up the news. So I missed what they had to say about it, but I'm lovin' the term, and it totally fits how I've been feeling. Everyday. Dragging. Up until midnight or later. The info blasts me in the face every time I log on to Yahoo! Video clips everywhere. Scandals galore - underage gymnasts? fake fireworks? racist photos? I soak it all up.

And then there's my favorite. MP. LOVE that guy. He holds a place in my heart, and here's why.

It all started when Zack was born in 2005. Phelps was only a year out of the 2004 Olympics. Pretty famous guy because of his awesome performance. Long story short, because of what happened during delivery, I couldn't stand without the use of a walker, hence, couldn't give Zack a bath. So, after he got one sink bath his first day home, I opted to give him tub baths with me from then on. Immediately I could tell that he was lovin' the water. LOVED it. Then, when he was 16 months, he went swimming in the pool in Arizona, and the kid couldn't stop jumping in. On. His. Own. Everyone kept looking at me like "hey, lady, your kid -- your ki--oh, he jumped." Oh yeah, don't forget the time he jumped in during swim lessons, while I turned my back to grab a floatie, and the lady in the gallery screamed, and two lifeguards jumped in after him, and he came up smiling and laughing, but when he saw how scared everyone was, he started to cry. So I've been calling Zack "Michael Phelps" forever.

And how proud would you be to be his mother?! The interviews with her, the photos of her, bring tears to my eyes. As the mother of a little boy, I can only hope that he seeks me out in the stands of whatever sport he plays the way that Michael looks for his mother. The special interest story when they interviewed her prior to his first race really choked me up. She told the story of her memory of Michael receiving his first gold medal in the 2004 Olympics. She said he was walking toward her, with a peanut butter/jelly sandwich in one hand, and a gold medal in the other, and he looks at her with the hugest grin on his face and says "look what I did." Wow. I get chills even now, just picturing it. something about little boys and their mothers. I can picture Zack giving me that same look. Pure sweetness.

All this crafting YUMMINESS awaits!

2008-08-11T16:24:00.006-05:00

For those of you in the Minnesota area September 12-14, you MUST check out ScrapFest at the Mall of America. Sponsored by Archiver's, this event is UH-MAZING. Last year was the first year I could attend, and I signed up for three classes, and went for one entire day. After a minute at the event, I vowed I'd do the entire weekend this year. And I am. When the classes were announced, I instantly made my list of the ones I just HAD to take. I put them into a few categories, rated on which I'd pick up first, then second, etc. Signing up for these classes is a major deal. You've got to be fast. There are limited seats and things sell out fast. So I had my game plan. I had my credit card number written in huge leaders, taped in front of me so I was sure to type it in fast. The day the classes went on sale, I was at the computer, ready and 6:59 a.m. to sign in and register for classes. Oh, was I sweating, grabbing stuff, adding it to my cart, and checking out one at a time like they recommend. Only a few minor computer lock-outs, and by 7:23 a.m. I had scheduled 11 classes. I missed out on one Hambly Studios, but I am very satisfied with how I did. And most everything was sold out by that time! Cripes, that stuff goes fast. Below is a list of what I have waiting for me:

Me & My Big Ideas: Family Circle Album, circle chipboard album
K & Company: Scrapbooking with Amy Butler - create two 12x12 double page layouts and Celebrate Fall
Heidi Swapp: create 2 12x12 layouts
Basic Grey: create 6 Euphoria Magnetic cards
Cosmo Cricket: Frightfully fun Haunted Album, and Charming Card Boxusing Jack's World collection
Fancy Pants: two page spread using clear transparencies
Hero Arts: taught by Her Coolness herself, the one and only Jennifer McGuire - Clearly Cute Photo Tag Book. This was the FIRST class I added, the one that I knew I did not want to miss out on.
Tim Holtz: taught by THE Tim Holtz, making a mosaic mirro
Autumn Leaves: Stampology 101

Who else out there is going to Scrapfest and what classes did you get into?

Have you seen the new Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog. It has lulled me to sleep the past two nights. I've read it like a bedtime story. I can't get the images and the amazing new colors out of my head. I'm compiling my order. There are 5 sets that I am in LOVE with, but a ton of new Designer Series Papers and other embellishments that are yumm-o. I've got a bunch of retired stuff and retired papers on ebay to make money for new stuff. Wish I could keep it ALL. I hate having to get rid of stuff. but I figure if I haven't used it by now....off it goes to make someone else's day.

Diva Card for 2Sketches4You.blogspot.com

2008-08-08T16:02:00.006-05:00

I've mentioned a few times, I read a bazillion blogs. I'm in love with bazillions of designers, and desire a bazillion different products. i want it all, and have no self-control. I've seen Gina K Designs' cards for awhile now, but didn't have any. Until this little number came out. I saw a few samples in the daily bloggings, and KNEW I HAD TO HAVE IT. So cute. So many fun little possibilities for girlie cards. So when I saw the sketch challenge on 2Sketches4You, I decided I'd use my newest Gina K's.

Someone (maybe even the Diva Gina K herself) stamped that cute lil' T from the pages of a magazine. And that is exactly what I did for the zebra print -- I saw this dress in Good Housekeeping, and knew it'd make a great T-shirt! Who would have thought?! Stamp on a print from a magazine. hey -- free scrapbook paper. The saying is from Bella. Again, one of my newer stamps that I don't use nearly enough. I would have liked to have done the quote a little different; I don't love how it's positioned on the bottom of the shirt. But since I'm doing the Scrappin' while Mr. Crazy's Nappin' thing, and I still have to mop floors, I decided to call it good.

My first Color Inspiration Challenge

2008-08-07T15:31:00.006-05:00

I'm finally participating in Kristina Werner's color inspiration challenge. For those of you not familiar, Kristina is an AMAZING scrapbooker who I've been following forever. I love her sense of humor, her style, her pure geniousness! Check out her blog, but don't blame me when you're hooked. Come to think of it, she was the start of all my scrapbook blogging addiction. She led to one, which led to another, which fed to another, and so on. Next thing I know, I'm reading 50+ a day. I'm looking for a good BA Group - Blogger's Anonymous. It's insanity. I can be on them all DAY if I really want to be. Which I do. But I DON'T.

Recipe: Stampin Up: Rose Red, Green Galore, Basic Black, Whisper White, black brads. Westrim: Stamps. Other: misc. fibers

So, what makes me think anyone's going to want to read this???

2008-08-07T15:23:00.003-05:00

That is a GOOD question, I tell myself. I've got the family blog, so I am going to try to keep this one simply crafty related. After I wasn't chosen for the COOLEST JOB EVER at The Country's Best Scrapbook chain, I decided I wanted more of a creative outlet. I want to be more focused with scrapbooking, more motivated, and yes, win a contest or a prize. And, well...I want to be published. There. I said it, for all of Internet Land to see. My goal is to have something published in a magazine. There are a bazillion fantastic scrapbookers out there. I know because I read all their blogs. I see their cool stuff. I learn from them. And now, I want to join 'em. Enough lurking, I'm throwing my (scrapbooking) hat in the ring. I also hope to be motivating to other scrapbookers. For me, it is a passion. I am lucky to have the space that I do to be able to work on it. I am lucky to have a husband who was actually the first person to put the bug in my ear "why don't you try to get published?" when I had no idea that he had any idea what it even WAS to get published. (hmmm...maybe he does retain some of what I blab about?!) I know not everyone wants to be this freaky addicted, but I am hoping to get more people into scrapbooking, convert some people, if you will. And win the toaster for having the most converts. How can you NOT want to scrapbook? You get to BUY stuff, people, like, all the time! I am in the process of creating my banner with a designer, and adding all the links and creative inspirations that I follow to the sidebar. This blog is officially open, but it's going to be reworked until it doesn't looks so, well, BLOGGY. So stay tuned.