My November challenge at Two Spotted Dogs

Check out the challenge that I posted for this month over at Two Spotted Dogs - Eight is Great Challenge Due 11/30/09.

I cannot believe that Bruce is going to be eight years old this month. Where has the time gone??? His upcoming celebration is the inspiration for this month's challenge ... Eight is Great. You can do either of the following: * have 8 of something (brads, pieces of ribbon, letters in the title, photos, etc.) on your layout - which can be one or two pages * use the word Eight in your title

Here's my layout, which I finished up this evening

Sure hope that some of you come over and give the challenge a try.

TSD Amy's November Challenge

At Two Spotted Dogs, Amy gave us a tough challenge ... Keep it Simple

I used this challenge to spotlight a special keepsake for Bruce

Journaling reads: Granny & Gaga give their grandchildren a Christmas ornament every year. For 2008, Granny found a very meaningful ornament for Bruce. The fishing Santa is in remembrance of Bruce’s first time fishing … which was with Gaga and Granny just a few days before he died in August. This ornament will always have a special place on our Christmas tree.

Layouts about Bruce and Gaga

I have tons of ideas for layouts that I want to do about my Dad, following his death in August '08. Here are some that I did earlier this month for Bruce's album.

Inspired Blueprints Sketch 32

Using Sketch #32 from Inspired Blueprints really made the first page of my two-page spread come together easy. You really should check out their sketches.

October Challenge at Two Spotted Dogs

October Challenge at Two Spotted Dogs

This month I have a recipe challenge for you girls.

October 10th would have been my dad's 65th birthday, so I've used his name ~ Dan ~ for the recipe:

D - dots: have at least three circles on your layout

A - alphas: have mixed alphas in the title

N - needle: have either hand or machine stitching (no stamps or rub-ons).

Here's my sample

Please have your layouts linked here by midnight 10/31/09. I'll do a random drawing for a RAK. Please do not combine this challenge with any others here at TSD.

Inspired Blueprints Sketch 30

Yeah ... I got a little bit of scrappy time tonight, and finished my last Halloween layout from 2008. For this page I continued using the TSD kit - and have a lot left over for some 2009 pages.

I used Sketch 30 from Inspired Blueprints as the basis for my page.

TSD Spooktacular Kit

I had a wonderful time making this Happy Halloween layout using the Spooktacular Kit (October 2008) from Two Spotted Dogs. My layouts come out much better, and faster, when I use a kit. Unfortunately the site is no longer selling kits; but the fantastic message board is staying around ~ and having several challenges per month.

Granny's birthday card

Since tomorrow is my mom's birthday, I'm spending this evening making a few cards. Here is the one that Bruce will give her. I used Sketch 23 from Unscripted Sketches , and also did the card for Amy's September Card Challenge at Two Spotted Dogs and Kim's Color Challenge at My Sketch World.

Finally Blogging Again

I cannot believe that it has been so long that I've updated my blog ... the summer was super busy, even with no homework at night.

At Two Spotted Dogs we've started posting several challenges each month. My challenge is to use a number in the title of a layout. Why don't you come over and join us if you're not already a member of TSD.

Here's my sample:

Unscripted Sketches 12

One of the best things about Saturdays is getting the latest sketch from Unscripted Sketches via e-mail. I made this card using the Sketch 12 released today. This card is also for one of the challenges for the current crop over at My Sketch World (to use naked chipboard).

Winner of Disney Album comments

I truly appreciate so many of you visiting here and leaving comments about my Walt Disney World Album. I did the random drawing the other day, posted the info on the scrap sites that I visit, but forgot to post here :( So sorry!

The winner is KimberlyM, a friend from Two Spotted Dogs. I hope to get her RAK in the mail over the weekend.

Thanks again everyone. I'm very excited that a few of you signed up as followers. I am going to try and do a much better job of posting here and visiting your blogs.

The Disney album is COMPLETE!!!

I am very excited that over the weekend I finished up the album from our recent Walt Disney World trip. I think that completing a 60 page album 3 1/2 months after the trip is pretty good.

I'm going to have a RAK drawn from everyone who leaves a comment below. If you are a follower of my blog you will get an additional chance for the RAK. So, if you're not a follower this is a great time to sign up. I'll do a random draw from the comments left by Sunday June 21st.

Many of my scrappy and non-scrappy friends & family encouraged me while working on this album. To all of you ... a really big hug and thanks.

Click here to view the slideshow of the album.

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Lots of activity at My Sketch World

You really should go check out everything that is going on at My Sketch World right now.
First, there is a Design Team call going on right now. Submissions are from June 15 thru July 10, 2009. You can find out more info on the MSW blog.

There’s also a week-long crop starting up on Sunday. The MSW crops are really awesome, and this time the members are creating the challenges. I’m really hoping to have lot’s of scrappy time during next week. You really should come over and join us; here’s some more info for you.

Unscripted Sketches 10

Sketch 10 from Unscripted Sketches was the perfect sketch for the last page of my Disney album ... what do you think???

Layout Sketch 99 - Sketches! {by tamara}

Got a two page layout done from the Test Track ride in Epcot - guess I gave more space in the album to my favorite rides. For page 2, I used Layout Sketch 99 from Sketches! {by tamara}

Unscripted Sketches 09

Did this graduation card using Sketch 09 from Unscripted Sketches




















I did a few other cards; all of a sudden I am soooooooo sleepy. May go grab a nap and then will post more. Sunday afternoons are the perfect time for a nap, aren't they?!?!?

My Sketch World Challenge & Sketches {by tamara}

Happy Sunday my friends!!!

Here's another Disney layout (guess what, I'm getting close to finishing the book). I had fun using the My Sketch World {Pre-Crop Challenge} 100 Item Challenge Also I got this layout done a little quicker by using the awesome Layout Sketch #98 from Sketches {by Tamara}.

One layout for 6 challenges!!!

There's so much going on this weekend that I'm trying to combine as many challenges as possible. I fit in a whopping six challenges (well, one challenge three times) for the following page








































Alecia's Random Layout Challenge #4 at Two Spotted Dogs ~ sketch from the Triple the Sketch Blog ~~~ Scrapdango - L.O.A.D. June 5th challenge to use 5 things ~~~ My Sketch World - {Pre Crop} Bingo Challenge ~~~ MSW - {Pre-Crop} 100 Item is the challenge that I did three times since I used 12 items, each time you use 4 items it counts as a completed challenge.

You really should check out some of the fun going on at these sites.

Great Give-a-way

Check out Creating from the Heart for a chance at some totally awesome blog candy. Good luck my friends!!!!!

2 cards

Hope this is only the first of many posts this weekend … got two cards done this evening.

Both of them are for the L.O.A.D. (Layout a Day) at Scrapdango - June 2nd Challenge

The cars card was done using Card Sketch #98 from Sketches! {by tamara}.

And the Thinking of you card was done using Sketch 08 from Unscripted Sketches AND for Alecia’s Challenge at Two Spotted Dogs to use stars and flowers on a card.

My Sketch World June 1st Card Sketch

Hopefully getting an early start on the June challenges at My Sketch World is a good sign ... that I'll get very scrappy this month. Here's the card that I made tonight for the June 1st Card Sketch

Inspired Blueprints

Used Sketch #22 from Inspired Blueprints for the second page of my Conquering Everest layout. As I mentioned in my journaling, this was my overall favorite ride in all of Magic Kingdom!!!

New Site - The Shaker Box

Well, I finally finished up this layout that I started last weekend. Page 1 is for the I Dare You Challenge at The Shaker Box ~~~ a new site that my friend Lisa (Scrapadoodler) introduced me to ~~~ to do some fancy edging. This is page 1 of "Conquering Everest."

My Sketch World May 1st Sketch

I did this page (surprise, surprise ... it's another layout for the Disney Album) using the May 1st Layout Sketch from My Sketch World.

New Challenge Site

Check out this new site ~~~ The Next Level ~~~ that will have weekly challenges starting on June 1st. I can't remember how I scrapped before I discovered challenges ... looking forward to seeing what these ladies have in store for us.

Sketches 4 You - Laura's Sketch 26

I made these two cards based on this week's sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You

Splash Mountain layout

After a few days at Orange Beach (where I did manage to get two layouts done in the evenings), I'm back home and eager to scrap. I did this page for two different challenges: at My Sketch World, {May} Nik's Color Challenge (to use mostly brown & green) and Sketch #20 at 52 Sketches 52 Weeks

Got Sketch? Sketch 83

And for this one I used Sketch 83 from Got Sketch?

Sketches by Tamera Card Sketch #95

Needed a few more graduation cards, so did these two tonight.

The first one is using Card Sketch #95 ~ Sketches! {by tamera}

Sketches by tamera

Unfortunately, I don't know where the weekend went ... haven't had as much scrappy time as I'd have liked. Maybe this week will be more productive.

I got this page done using Tamera's Layout Sketch #95 .

My Sketch World Cheryl's May Challenge

Cheryl's May Challenge was to use striped paper with any other pattern.

My Sketch World Celeste's May Challenge

Celeste's May Challenge was some cutting ... thought the rainbow/cloud was perfect for the challenge

My Sketch World - Gloria's May Challenge

Gloria's May Challenge was to make a card without using printed paper. I used a piece of dotted fabric on this card

My Sketch World May 1st Card Sketch Challenge

OK, I'll have a few posts to put the remainder of the teacher cards that I did for challenges over at My Sketch World. Tomorrow is Bruce's last day of school, so I'll bring the last four gifts over there in the morning. I can't believe that his year of 1st Grade is already over.

This is for the May 1st Card Sketch Challenge

May 2009 issue of Scrapbook Trends magazine!

Check out Angela's blog for a chance to win a copy of the May 2009 issue of Scrapbook Trends magazine!

Unscripted Sketches 05

Here's another teacher card that I made over the weekend ... this time using a sketch from a fun, new site Unscripted Sketches.

I made almost a dozen cards over the weekend ... thank you cards for all of Bruce's teachers (including music, P.E., etc.).



Here's one that I did using 2 Sketches 4 You - Laura's Sketch 25

























Will post more cards during the week.

Happy National Scrapbook Day

Hope that everyone finds some scrappy time this weekend. There are some fun challenges at Two Spotted Dogs. I got three layouts done last night while cropping at Scrapbook Creations in Gulfport. Hoping to get some more pages done tonight.

What a fun site!!!

A fun addition to cards and layouts is a Word Cloud (a collection of words that are randomly arranged in a group). It is super easy to do at http://www.wordle.net/. You could probably do these for projects, signs, etc.

I found about word clouds from one of the challenges at My Sketch World's Spring Crop.

Check out the Mother's Day card I made for my mom.

I'm still working on challenges for the Spring Crop at My Sketch World. Out of the 26 challenges, I've already completed 12 ... have one more in-progress, and hope to do a few more before tonight's deadline.

I'm getting so much done with the crop currently going on at My Sketch World



Alecia's 3D Card Challenge
















Kristen's Recipe Challenge

Cheryl's Black & White + One Challenge

Weekly Winner

I just found out that my layout below was the random weekly winner at 52 sketches 52 weeks. Check out the post to see the cool RAK I''ll be getting!!!

http://52sketches52weeks.ning.com/forum/topics/sketch-15

Sketch #15 of 52 Sketches 52 Weeks

Here's the layout that I did using the current sketch from 52 Sketches 52 Weeks





















This photo was taken during lunch at Animal Kingdom.

Crop at My Sketch World

Through Alecia's blog (thanks for the info girl) I found that My Sketch World is having a crop starting tomorrow. So I registered at their Forum and can't wait to see what they have in store starting tomorrow. Hope to see some familiar faces over there too!!!!

Another fun challenge at Two Spotted Dogs

Alecia is hosting a fun challenge at Two Spotted Dogs: use BLACK & BROWN on your layout. Can you really mix black & brown together?? Yes you can based on the fab layouts that the girls have posted.

Here’s my page (another page for our Disney World album) – based on a sketch from Got Sketch?

























By the way, here’s the second page of the layout:

Journaling Tips

Thought that this was some great info included in this morning's Making Memories e-mail:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wendy Sue Anderson is the queen of journaling. Just a visit to her blog and you'll see the creativity that pours from her fingertips. We asked her to share her top five tips for creating meaningful journaling on any project.

1. Keep it Real: "Don't just write a lot of fluff to take up space. If you don't have anything to say, then let the page speak for itself!"

2. Use Your Blog: Your blog, your Facebook updates, even your Twitter posts can be a great source of journaling material!

3. Keep a Notebook: "I have one section for my son, and one for my daughter. When they say something cute, or when I just want to remember what they were doing on a certain day, I just jot it down."

4. Write by Hand: "I'm a big fan of handwritten journaling. My grandmother just passed away and I treasure anything she wrote by hand."

5. Make Lists! "Everything can become a list. Favorite memories, favorite restaurants, places visited. Just make it a simple list and your journaling is done!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have a really great day everyone!!!

Recipe Challenge – posted at Two Spotted Dogs

Wanted to share this challenge that is currently going on at Two Spotted Dogs.


I had a few challenges for my friends to use at the Scrap Fest that we just attended this past weekend, and thought I’d share one with you girls. Recipe Challenge – FEST

F – use "F" in the title
E – use eyelets
S – use at least one star
T – have tearing

Please have your layout posted in the thread at Two Spotted Dogs by midnight on Sunday April 20th. After that date I’ll do a random drawing for a little goodie.

Editing the post to show my layout that I did