Easy, Detailed, Expert

If you haven't already done so, click here to download the new summer issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today. Start with pages 34-35. ;) Then savor the rest of this fabulous and free magazine. Thank you Catherine and Kerry for another issue full of eye candy!

Cover Girl, Lobster Rolls, and Black Raspberry Ice Cream

Cover Girl

I was thrilled to have been asked to create cover layouts for Creating Keepsakes' new idea book Easier Than Ever Scrapbooking 2 and for the July 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes.



And yes, you're right, those aren't my kids. ;) Magazines more often than not use stock photos for covers. If you peek at the online sneak for Easier Than Ever Scrapbooking 2 and look at the first layout, you'll see a layout called "Jamba Juice" which does indeed feature my real daughter. :) I have two additional layouts in there, one called "Bread As Art" and the other "We Love Lobster Rolls."

Lobster Rolls
Speaking of lobster rolls...in fact, we love them so much that on our ten-day trip to New England (just got back yesterday) we consumed them on multiple occasions. First, there was the lobster BLT at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye, New Hampshire. Next came the lobster roll at Robert's Maine Grill in Kittery, Maine (outlet shopping, anyone? :)). Then came the lobster roll at the Ice House in Rye, New Hampshire (okay, so I ordered the fried scallops, but ended up sampling Eli's lobster roll). I finished out the trip with a final lobster roll at Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier in Kittery, Maine:


Black Raspberry Ice Cream

It is a little challenging to find this outside of New England, so when I visit I always overindulge. Somehow we landed at the Ice House three times. Twice I got black raspberry with chocolate jimmies (that's New England for sprinkles) and the other time I opted for kahlua fudge brownie. No photos. The darn stuff melts so quickly I didn't want to lose any while hauling out the camera. :)

I'll try to get some layouts up here soon. It's just been a crazy month between work and travel!

Thank you all for playing along! I can't wait to check out some of the book recommendations you provided!

So...wanna know who won the Green Tangerines kit? #36, that's who!

And who, you ask, is #36? Wait...let me count...Sarah Hodgkinson!

Sarah, please email your address to kitclub@mygreentangerines.com to claim your prize!

Don't forget to check out the Green Tangerines Kit Club blog after 7 pm PST today for today's second winner!

Green Tangerines Has A New Kit Club!

Green Tangerines has an amazing new kit club and I've had a lot of fun creating with one of their kits! They are hosting a fun blog party from May 8th to July 1st and are giving away over $1000 worth of free scrapbooking products! The giveaways are taking place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday starting at 7:00 pm PST and tonight is my night to host! Keep reading, because there's a giveaway at the bottom!



The kit I worked with had tons of fun stuff in it and was full of fabulous bright colors - totally up my alley! There were three sets of alphas, lots of patterned paper and cardstock (including several brands and textures of cardstock - love that!), and countless fun embellishments. I've barely cracked the kit with the projects I've made and am looking forward to making even more with it!

Here's a 4th of July card I cooked up with flocked brads, patterned paper, and painted chipboard Thickers:

One more card, this one with some cool mesh and a fabric strip I gathered into a circle:


I also made a layout using the oh-so-cool Prima Clearly IOD alpha tape (thank you, Green Tangerines for introducing me to to this product!) and a fun little graphic smiley I made with a circle punch and bits of foam alphas:


So...here comes the fun part...wanna win a Green Tangerines kit? :) One with over $50.00 worth of scrapbooking goodies? :) Yes? Okay, then leave a comment here telling me the name of your favorite children's novel (gotta keep my reader supplied with fresh material!). Be sure to post by 5:00 PST (that's 6:00 Mountain Time for all you locals!) tomorrow, Thursday, May 28th, and I'll randomly draw a winner. Be sure to check back tomorrow night to see if you've won!

Want two chances to win? :) If so, be sure to visit the Green Tangerines Kit Club blog. :)

All My Ducks in a Row

I said I'd be back with more new October Afternoon, so here I am! :)


This layout uses two of the fun new Wild Cards from the Ducks in a Row line:


I paired them with pink polka dot paper and a stamp from the same line as well as the green floral paper from the Cherry Hill line.

I also made a card with Ducks in a Row paper and stamps and Cherry Hill paper:

Road Map

I was lucky enough to receive a box this week with the new October Afternoon lines :). While I love all three, I couldn't wait to get started with Road Map. I made this layout using five of the twelve patterns from the line:


Here are the five papers I used:



More to come soon...I can't stop playing with all my new stuff! :)

Today is a Holiday

Yup. National Scrapbooking Day. We're having friends over for dinner tonight so my whole day can't be about scrapbooking (cleaning and cooking must happen!) but I do have a couple of things to share today.

First, a card I made using the amazing new Howdy Doody paper from Basic Grey's Lime Rickey line. This paper just makes me smile! I cut out a bunch of the birds from the paper, stitched a line across my card, used pop dots to adhere the birds, and then drew legs with a pen. The greeting is stamped using October Afternoon's Plain Jane alpha stamps.



Next, I participated in one of the challenges over at Two Peas in a Bucket and did a layout inspired by Garden Girl Wendy Bretz's "Kindergarten" layout. This one uses Scenic Route grid paper, American Crafts mini brads and epoxy worm, a Jenni Bowlin chipboard button (covered in paper glaze), and Rusty Pickle letters.


Happy National Scrapbooking Day!