Sketch This #13 a card

Last night I browsed on-line galleries & became overwhelmed with inspiration.
I love that.
So, I went to bed thinking of new things I wanted to create & cleaning my floors?
Somehow, I don't think the 2 go together, but sometimes I can't control my thoughts.
So, I played with Triple the Sketch #13 today AND used my new Heather Bailey stuff.
OMG!!
I purchased ALL the papers, 2 packs of rub-ons, stickers, paper clips and chipboard dies & borders.
Here's what I came up with & I'm pretty happed with it.
I used Heather Bailey paper (handcut flowers) & rub-on sentiment; K&Co stripe paper; Maya Road bird; Doodlebug Glitter & Prima flowers.
I even purchased 2 new Fiskar border punches Friday.

I LOVE JoAnn's. They allow you to use competitor's coupons AND you can use one of each in a transaction.
I love getting good deals.
I even checked their fabric section to see if they had gotten any of Heather Bailey's summer prints in-stock.
I didn't see anything, but I also didn't ask.
Maybe I should have?
I also altered an old Sara Binder I had laying around.
I'm going to use it for recipes, so my next step is to get all my favorite recipes typed.

I hope you're having a great weekend!!

Just things & a scrapping COUPON!!

I'm here.
Just not here?
I've been making Christmas cards:)

Yep, you read right.........................Christmas cards.
I realized a couple of months ago if I started making about 10 a month, they would all be ready to mail by Thanksgiving.
I never got started.
But, I've done 6 & that's a start.

I'm also back to hoarding some of my projects.
I haven't submitted anything in months & have decided I might try again.
Getting the cover of PaperCrafts sorta sparked my interest again.
So, I've done 1 layout & a couple of cards I'm keeping to myself.
We'll see what happens.
BUT, I first have to submit them for something & since I never do a project specifically for a call, that might be tough?

In other news, I just listed some Mary Kay stuff on Ebay.
Here's the link, if you're inclined to take a peak:

http://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MyeBay&CurrentPage=MyeBaySelling&gbh=1&ssPageName=STRK:ME:LNLK

I guess you could say I'm an "inactive" consultant.
This stuff is collecting dust & I could use the extra money, so I'm selling it at a loss.
The prices are wholesale, BUT, I did have to pay 7.5% tax + shipping, plus the Ebay & Paypal fees, so I'm losing money.
I guess it's better then nothing at all though!!

So, after spending several hours listing all this stuff, I got to thinking about selling some of my hand-made cards.
I make so many of them & never submit them & can hardly use all the ones I have.
I donated approximately 55 of them to a charity auction earlier this year & was able to purge a bulk of them, but they're piling up again.
Trying to decide if I should Ebay them or just use a Blog & sell them?

So, all of this has put a hiatus on my scrapping. I get into the "money making" mode & divert all my energies in that direction.

BUT, through all of this, my cooking has not taken a toll. I've been baking & coming up w/new recipes this summer & here's a real easy one I found in my latest issue of Southern Living:

~4 cups of cleaned & sliced strawberres (you could also use any other berry, the original recipe called for blackberries)

~6 tablespoons of butter

~1 cup of all purpose flour

~1 cup of sugar

~1 large egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Clean & slice the strawberries & put them in an 8x8 square pan, lightly greased
Mix the flour, sugar & egg & then pour over the top of the strawberries

Melt the butter & pour over the entire mixture

Bake for 35 mins or until the top is a golden color & it is bubbling. Let sit for 10 mins before eating

Here's where mine will vary next time: The strawberries I used were sorta tart, so next time I might sprinkle some sugar in w/the berries BEFORE adding the flour/sugar mixture. I might also increase the flour/sugar mixture by 1/2. This turned out crunchy on the top (which I like crunchy), so I wouldn't have minded having a little more of the "crust."

We ate this straight from the oven, a la mode, which was delish, but I also just had some w/whipped cream, straight from the fridge & I liked it better cold.

And, as if this post isn't quite long enough for you, here's a little scrappy goodness from Just Let Me Scrapbook. She's adding new products daily, so don't miss out.

Customer Appreciation
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And w/that my friends, I bid you farewell!!

2 Sketches 4 U - Kazan 3 Sketch

Here's how my mojo works best:
1) Find a sketch or pictures that I want to use.
2) Pick out my papers & place pics
3) Walk-away for a long while & let my brain start thinking
4) Come up with ideas & return to put them together
5) LOVE my finished product

This is how some of my best projects come about. I love putting something "semi" together right before I go to bed. Then, as I lay there trying to sleep, I'll start planning my project. When I wake the next morning, I'm able to put it all together & I usually love my idea. This is exactly what I did with Kazan's #3 sketch, except the sketch wasn't posted until this morning. I chose my papers & came up with the house idea. I was originally going to use a Maya Road sheer house. The girls wanted to play some Wii, so I put it all aside & thought about it while I was bowling (my highest score yet, btw 277!!!). By the time they left w/my parents, I couldn't wait to come finish this card. I LOVE it.

So, what are you doing today? I've already done my laundry, cleaned the kitty litter (a job I'm not liking one bit) & eaten some of the best yummy cherries, so I think I'll scrap until I'm forced to come back to reality:)

CPS 70

Today is Sunday
It seems the past few Sundays I've managed to get some scrappy time.
I'm really lovin' this & wonder how long it will last?
So, the girls are with grandparents, William is training & I've been playing around with the CPS 70 sketch.
I already had these Making Memories papers on my desk, I've been pulling piles of older product out, sitting them on my desk & then playing around with them. Lovin' that I'm using some of this stuff up finally!!
When I saw the sketch, I knew I wanted to hand-cut the paper, which I did.
I'm "okay" with this card. Nothing special about it & I keep thinking I should add something else to the sentiment. I might do that later?

I love how this card turned out, even with it's little "mustache:)" Tons of older My Minds Eye papers & rub-ons, mixed with some newer American Crafts Chipboard & one of my trusty Fiskar punches. I especially love the colors on this one.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday. It's been raining off & on (thunderstorms) & days like this make me sleepy. Never mind the fact our new kitty, Bandit, has taken to me & wants to sleep wrapped around my neck at night.
Did I tell you I'm allergic to cats?
Yep.................I am. So last night after finally getting him to sleep & managing to get out of bed without waking him up, because my eyes were itching really bad & swollen, I ended up staying awake until 1:45 AM. My eye was so swollen I couldn't close it, so it made it hard for me to sleep..........if you know what I mean.
He's really sweet though & very affectionate. Something you don't find in too many cats, so I guess we'll keep him.

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday!!

BHG Scrapbooks Etc. Page Planner

It's finally here!!!
I had a layout picked up, months ago, for this special edition issue by Better Homes & Gardens, Scrapbooks Etc.
I just got my copy of the mazazine & layout back today. I'm on page 116.
I was thrilled to see so many "big" scrapping names in this magazine & feel so honored to be featured with them.
They took every layout & turned it into a sketch, so you'll also see my layout sketch in the very back. I thought that was pretty cool.
I'm not sure when this issue is set to release, as I originally thought it was October, but I'm thinking not now, since I got my copy.
I did go to their website, but didn't find it?

When I get my projects back, I tell myself I should submit more.
I realize I'm not as savvy a scrapper as so many "big" name scrappers, but I also realize you have to throw enough mud to make it stick, which means I have to submit my work in order for them to see me:)
Maybe I'll get to that point one day?
Until then, I enjoy scrapping for me!!!

WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!

Some of you might remember a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG while ago I posted that my Christmas button/bling tree was picked up by PaperCrafts for a special Holiday issue coming out in October.

Well, I just received a notice today that my Christmas button/bling tree will grace the FRONT COVER!!! I am sooooooooooooo excited. I never expected such an honor!!! What a way to start my weekend:)

I also did some design work for Creatively Yours, a new sketch site. I hope you will go visit Noella & use some of her awesome new sketches.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We are having dinner w/my sister tonight. Friends over for dinner Saturday night & that's about all. Maybe I'll get some scrapping done too!!

a new sketch site..................Creatively Yours

Creatively Yours is a new sketch site with some awesome sketches. Noella sent me this great 6x12 sketch, which was just the push I needed to try out this new size. I LOVE it!! If you've ever wanted to try a different size layout, here's your chance.

I pulled from some old supplies & new for this one: My Minds Eye pp; Chatterbox pp; Prima flowers; KI Memories lace flowers (hand-cut); American Crafts Foam Thickers & alphabet stickers; Daisy Ds die-cut sentiments; Autumn Leaves & Making Memories brads; Doodlebug Paper Frills.

To show the versatility of these sketches, I also made a card. I did change from horizontal to vertical, but it still works. More older product mixed with some Prima & K&Co.

I hope you'll get a chance to check them out. If you do, don't forget to send your projects to Noella.

Sketch This 54 & a 35% off coupon

I forgot I did this card for Sketch This 54 yesterday. I'm enjoying going through old supplies & trying to use them. Most of the products on this card are from K&Co, except the Prima flowers & Making Memories tiny alphabet stickers.

We also got a new kitten, as if 2 new ducks wasn't enough. The ducks are fine, except they were tearing our pond up pretty bad, so we took them to a friend who has a HUGE pond. I think they'll be much happier there. So, Ashlyn naturally assumed she could have something else to take the ducks place & promptly came home with a kitten. I have no objections to a cat, except my allergies. I'm doing fine though & he really is a sweet cat. Black & white with a "black mask" around his eyes, thus his name Bandit. She even gave us $45.00 of her bday dollars to pay for him!!! I'll post pictures in the next couple of days.

AND, don't forget Just Let Me Scrapbook has a 35% off coupon (HOT35) & you can use this for sale items too. What a great deal, so hurry over & stock-up.

2 Sketches 4 U - Laura Sketch #2

Here's my take on the 2 Sketches 4 U - Laura #2 Sketch.
I didn't intend for this to look like a flower pot, but I guess it does. I included a close-up of the butterfly. I really liked how it turned out. The larger butterfly is stamped & the smaller one is a Martha Stewart punch. I then added glitter to the top one & sequin & rhinestones to the bottom one.
Girls are at the library today, so I might get some more scrapping done, in between loads of laundry.

Have a great Monday!!

CPS 69 & a great COUPON!!!

How was everyone's Father's Day?
Around our house...........it was good.
Church this morning, then daddy did his work-out while the girls & I stayed out of his way.
Then his parents came over for dinner & we played some friendly games of Wii.
We had a wonderful time & supper was great.........if I do say so myself.

I managed to get this card done for CPS #69. Sorry for the bad picture, but with or without a flash it's coming out wonky? I really like this sketch & will probably make another card.

Then I stayed up til way past my bedtime & made this one. And, YES, I used the sketch for both of these!!

And, for those of you wanting to do a little shopping, here's another great coupon from Just Let Me Scrapbook. In fact, this deal is better then what the design team gets, so you'll want to take advantage of this & get you some scrapping goodness.

Take 35% off your entire order, INCLUDING sale items until June 20th!! Enter code HOT35

For those of you that used my name as a referral, I'll be doing a RAK & contacting the winner. Hope you have a great Monday!

Triple the Sketch 11

I know you must all think I have no life.
All I do is sit around & scrap all day.
Well, I'm here to clear the air.
You're 1/2 right:)
I do have a life, but probably not as hectic as most.
Summer is family time for us, so the days are spent w/my girlies.
I scrap at night.
During the school year, bedtime is 9:00.
During summer, bedtime is whenever.
Around our house, that's usually between 10:00-10:30.
That's when I retreat (most nights) to my scraproom to be creative.
I usually stay up until 1:00 & manage to waste most of that time on the computer.
It's an addiction I can't seem to break.

Sooooooo, now that I have that off my chest, here's my take on Triple the Sketch 11.
Sorry for the bad picture, but due to poor lighting & glare from my flash, I took it at an angle.

I've actually already used this paper before. Well, not the same one, obviously, but you know.
These pics are from our koi pond, taken in 2006.
I love our pond in the Spring, as it's so colorful.

Girls are w/the grandparents, so I'm hoping to get some scrapping done.
Don't forget about the referral sale going on at Just Let Me Scrapbook and the RAK I'll be giving away.
Have a great weekend!!

2 Sketches 4 U - Laura Sketch 1 & a RAK!!

I'm finally getting around to doing 2 Sketches 4 U first sketch by Laura.
This originally started out as one "tall card."
I ended up cutting it..........not sure why?
But, I still like the end result:)
The card looks "crooked," but it's not.
I tilted my camera a tad when taking the picture.

I managed to do another layout, but I'll post later.
My mojo has officially left & after a week of getting so much done, I'm hating it!!
And since I haven't been doing anything else the past couple of days.......not much else to share.

BUT.........................don't forget about the RAK I'm giving away.
It will be worth it, though I'm not going to say what it will be.

Things I like lately................& a RAK!!

Summer.
Milkshakes & Frappuchinos
I stay up way too late.
I spend tons of times w/my girls.
We sleep in:)
Playing with our new Wii.
Getting to scrap.
Finding supplies I forgot I had.
Using supplies I've had for too long.
Here's a layout I did tonight. Nothing fancy, in fact, I don't like how my journaling turned out. I think it's the stark white strips. I might take them off & change them to yellow. Otherwise, some Collage Press papers I forgot about, mixed w/some new October Afternoon I wouldn't have used had it not been a scrap on my desk & some transparency I've had forever.

And, if you didn't read my previous post about the shopping referral at Just Let Me Scrapbook, go here. I hope you'll take advantage of this good deal. In fact, if you make a purchase & use my name, I'll put all those names in a drawing for a RAK from me. Enjoy!!

2 Sketches 4 U - Laura Sketch 1 & a COUPON!!

I like to do things backwards. I've already made a card using Kazan's Sketch #2.
This first card was made using Laura's Sketch #1 for the very first 2 Sketches 4 U. I might have time later this week to use Kazan's Sketch 1 too:)
Anyway, both of these are for Father's day.

I did make 2 other cards, but I'm contemplating submitting them, so I'm keeping them underwraps until I decide.

So, to sum up my wonderful 2-days of scrapping: I got a total of 6 layouts & 13 cards scrapped!!! If that isn't productive, I don't know what is................besides maybe submitting some for possible publication? But, I don't do that often enough.

And, here's some shopping goodness for you from Just Let Me Scrapbook.

Earn a $10 gift certificate for EACH new customer you send to www.justletmescrapbook.com through Monday, June 16! All you have to do is enter MY name (Dawne Ivey) in the comments section during your checkout. Then YOU can send NEW customers and earn more GCs for yourself. I'll make the contest even sweeter... I'll count past customers who haven't ordered within the past 6 months as NEW!

What are you waiting for? Start emailing and posting everywhere you can think of...(without breaking any message board rules, of course!) . We will keep a running tally of gift certificates earned and email your winnings and codes at the end of the contest. How MANY do you think YOU can EARN?!!

I hope you decide to take advantage of this offer & use my name in the comments section. Like it says................feel free to pass this on & earn yourself even more free money!!

Triple the Sketch 10

Here's my take on Triple the Sketch #10.
Since I had all day to scrap..........I got tons done.
I mean TONS!!!
Again, not a favorite, BUT, I did use some old Basic Grey. Not that I've been hoarding it....it's just a hard pattern for me to use.

This last one I did without sketches. Yes, from time-to-time, I can do fine on my own:) I love them for various reasons......the color schemes, use of older products & the pictures........of course.

I actually have a few more cards to upload too, but I'll get them tomorrow!
BTW...........I got my sushi tonight & boy was it GOOD!!!

Pencil Lines 88

Here's my take on Pencil Lines sketch 88.
I'll admit I wasn't going to do this sketch, at first.
It seemed a bit overwhelming to me.
But, I printed it off & chose my pictures.
I'm sure you'll take a look & think......................whathe!!
But, believe me.........it's there.

This sketch truly inspired this layout.....right down to the AC paper I hand-cut.
The pictures are of the Mt. Everest ride in Animal Kingdom. I stood poised & ready to get this shot for the longest time, so you'll see I used rhinestones to circle hubby:)
One of my best layouts?
Maybe not, but I still like it's eclectic feel.

Sketch This 53

I have gotten to scrap AAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL day long.
I can't believe it.
It wasn't planned & just happend.
I couldn't be happier.
I have tons to upload, but I"m trying to do so in moderation:)

Here's my take on Sketch This 53. This is about Ashlyn's first kindergarten field-trip, plus her first "big yellow" ride. She was sooooooooooooooooo excited to be finally riding a bus, but her teacher sorta ruined the experience by making Ashlyn sit with her. The teacher thought she was doing her a favor since it was her first bus ride, but Ashlyn was more excited about sitting w/her best friend. She chose to ride home w/us!!

TFL & here's hoping someone will bring me some sushi!!

2 Sketches 4 U

A new card sketch blog.
This is only their 2nd week, but I love the sketches thus far.
This card is based off of Kazan's Week #2 sketch. The girls are with grandparents, so I'm getting a little more scrapping time:) I used my Fiskar border punch around the edges & K&Co products. The "i love you" is part of a K&Co fabric tag. The cute bird is a Studio Calico stamp exclusive....isn't it cute!!

I'll post my layouts later. I wanted to get this card uploaded for now.

CPS 66, 67 & 68

Finally getting time to scrap & trying to find my mojo. Here are some cards I did using some CPS sketchs. This first one is using the CPS #66 sketch. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a summer theme, but I was good just to get it finished. A circle design...........something you don't see too often in my work.

This 2nd card is from CPS #67. I used these canvas tags I took off some jeans. I've had them for awhile & thought they were perfect for this card. I save a lot of my clothing tags. These days, they're very pretty.

This last card is one I'll give to hubby for Father's Day. I used CPS #68. The center of this design is actually one I've used on an older card & loved it enough to use again. I'll have the girls make their own cards for daddy. They love to do that.

I did get some scrapping time tonight, so tomorrow I'll be uploading some layouts I got finished. All-in-all, a fairly productive day.

Would you like some cheese.......................

with that WHINE?




Why!
Yes!
Yes I would!
I really do prefer pepperjack, but at this point, any kind will do.

And, if I might also add, could you please clean my house, find my mojo, get some extra sleep for me and fix dinner?

Once upon a time....................

there was a girl who blogged & scrapped.
She blogged & scrapped & scrapped & blogged.
Such was the life of this girl.

Then school was released.
The End!!

That just about sums it up for me:)
I'm enjoying having both of my girls home with me.
I always forget just how much I miss having Ashlyn around until summer hits.
Then I'm selfish about letting her go do things with other people:)

So, we finally bought her a dress for the dance team banquet Friday night & got her a Wii.
I'm not sure who's having more fun with the Wii?
Her or us:)
Even Camryn is having a blast & it really is interactive & tons of fun.
I highly recommend it for the "exercise" benefits & the family time.
I'm going to start playing left-handed so my left arm can get a workout!

I haven't felt the least bit creative either, though I do have a card in the works on my desk.
So, instead of scrapping (or blogging for that matter), I replaced the DVD/CD drive in my computer, which led to cleaning out the cabinets in my scraproom, which finally led to restraightening my albums (a story I won't bore you with).
And here I sit at 12:30 AM pooped from it all.

All this newfound freedom has given me plenty of time to think & here's a few things I've been thinking about:

1) I laugh really hard at the lengths people go to just to get people to visit their blog. *snort*
2) After today, I no longer wonder about Camryn's OCD issues. I have my own to worry about.
3) I found $2.00 in the mall yesterday & that's like winning the lottery for me.
4) It's okay to have milkshakes or Starbucks everyday during the summer. The heat helps burn off the calories.
5) Always go with your gut. One, because it's part of you & you have no choice, but two, because it's usually right.
6) If you have a 3 1/2 year-old, you really need a Wii. There's nothing cuter than watching them bowl & box!!!

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Birthday Celebration!!

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CODE: MB616
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