New VSBN Format

I love the new format for VSBN, give us a chance to get pictures ready for our layouts. I still love getting together virtually and chatting and working on pages together but I never seem to have my pictures ready.

Here is my first page for the first challenge...

WOYWW#256 - Scrappy Birthday Mess!

After spending most of the day making an unexpected trip up to Fayetteville this morning with my hubby for some work stuff, I am now home curled up in my favorite sweatshirt, hanging out at my desk. This week I have been working on some birthday cards and getting ready for VSBN this weekend.

Spring Hats & Tea Parties...

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending and helping my new daughter-in-law Kalee Harris host her first "Hats & Pearls" Tea Party with the ladies and their daughters in her hall at her work. We had so much fun. Great kick start for May and Mother's Day! plus now I can add milliner to my resume'. lol...

WOYWW #255

After spending my "March Madness" reorganizing from my Crafter's Clutter Break down, I spent the fist two days of this week relishing in the thoughts of how nice and tidy my workspace looked and tring to fing something that would trigger my mojo enough to want to create a mess on my desk. Today, I figured it out!

So.... Here is what I am working on this afternoon.

Altered Birdhouses:

Crafter's Clutter Break Down...

I think I may have had a crafters clutter break down, kind of like a nervous break down... I got so tried of every time I wanted to make a card or scrapbook page, I couldn't find any of my stuff. So after I got back from St.Louis, I turned my whole house up side down and reorganized the whole thing. NO KIDDING!!! The OCD side of me got started and didn't stop until every room was clean and organized top to bottom.

Spring Serendipity - TLC470

Serendipity ~ the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy, beneficial way or finding the pleasantly unexpected by chance. The word was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754

But to many of us crafters, Serendipity hold another meaning, a meaning that I had totally forgotten about until our Technique challenge yesterday. There is an old scrapbooking technique used to create backgrounds for layouts entitled "Serendipity Squares" or as I like to call it "The Art of Creating Serendipity". Which is layering small bits or scraps of printed or patterned papers to create serendipity. You can find the photos and instructions on youtube

Today, the thoughts of creating serendipity has been on my mind... So, I ask the question: CAN WE CREATE OUR OWN SERENDIPITY ENCOUNTERS?

I believe that by being in the right place at the right time can increase our chances for more serendipity, but can we really create it?  

Here is the card that I came up with for the challenge:

Vintage Journal - IC425

At the start of very year I hold a New Years party / business building meeting for my Downline. We always start the year off by readjusting our yearly SU goals and looking forward to sale-a-Bration. This is my business journal for the upcoming year. For the next six months our business focus will be getting back to the basics and putting the pieces in place to create and give more ORDER and BALANCE to our business.

Keywords: IC425, STASH14Jan4, sbc14jan, CCREW0114SF, CreativeCrew, SUO, SUM
Stamps: Asian Artisry
Paper: SU DSP from Stash
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Glitter, primes, ribbons, flower punch, brads, buttons, big shot, apothecary framelits,

Silver Blooms - WT463

For our make and take this week we made a fun winter candy dish using the Faux Mercury Glass technique.

 I want to give credit where credit is due... There is a very good step by step tutorial for the faux mercury glass technique at www.craftstamper.com. It was featured in their Feb. 2014 magazine.

Keywords: WT463, MIX34, CCREW0114HF, CreativeCrew, SUO, SUM

stamps: Serene Silhouettes

Paper: None

Ink: Stazon Black

Accessories: Glass dish, looking glass spray paint, white vinegar, acrylic paints, stylus, paper towels

Techniques: faux mercury glass

Memories Variety - SBVC200

I just used scraps for this whole page.... My word for the week was order and I have been trying to make some order of my stash piles! :)

Keywords: SBVC200 SBSC336 sbc14jan STASH14Jan3
Stamps: None
Paper: More Mustard, Night of Navy, DSP stash
Paper Size: 8x8
Ink: None
Accessories: Big Shot, White Acrylic paint, buttons

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2476785#ixzz2rW9bxaHT

"Cracking The Case" Crop & Shop

We had a big mystery party Saturday for our crop & shop. The Theme was "Cracking the C.A.S.E." All we were allowed to bring with us was two simply scrappin' kits, one spool of matching ribbon and brads, photos, a old mini catalog and white or vanilla card stock. For the first part of the day or challenge was to find a scrapbook page in our old catalog that we liked and case it. But the catch was we had to "crack it" by solving the clues.... A little at a time! (We had to build our page a little at a time, just like a good old fashioned progressive page. First we made a 6x6, then 8 1/2 x11, followed up by making that into a 12x12, then finishing up by adding a second page. We had a lot of fun... The Hostess added in little fun mystery trivia games that kept the party alive and active. For the second part of the day...our challenge was to start at the beginning of our old mini catalog, page by page and if we liked what we saw then we were to case it! Using only the supplies that we had brought with us. Everyone needs try this, at least just once... I got so many goodies made, not all of them were scrapbook layouts, but still fun. One thing, I might add is that we had access to the hostess' big shot, die cuts and punches. Keywords: sbc14jan STASH14Jan2

Paper: So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Not Quite Navy, White, More Mustard, Stashed DSP

Paper Size: 6x6

Accessories: Stashed Simply Scrappin' kits, brads, punches,

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2474695#ixzz2rW2EHnLq

Postcard Case - FS363

I Love Tina's gallery. I really enjoy seeing all the pretty cards she makes and all her color combinations. This is the card I chose to case. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...&ppuser=116414.  Keywords: FS363Stamps: Vintage PostcardPaper: Pear Pizzazz, White, DSPPaper Size: A2 Ink: Pear Pizzazz,Accessories: Ribbon, brads, daisy punch

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2474393#ixzz2rVyFGJoE

Inspirational Seeds -IC424

I love the design-seeds website, clear full of inspirational choices. I fell in love with the rose on this clip... http://design-seeds.com/index.php/ho...y/flora-hues35. The challenge was to try and use all the colors listed and I was able to use all the colors. :) Keywords: IC424Stamps: Happy Greetings,Paper: Basic black, Always Artichoke, strawberry slush, Sahara sand, cherry cobbler, very vanillaPaper Size: A2INK: Always artichoke, cherry cobbler, strawberry slush, basic blackAccessories: Ribbon, button, chalk.

Old Testament 2014 - "Man"

So excited for the new year and to be studying the Old Testament. This is the second page of my new desk calendar for the new year.

 I LOVE to stamp on my Layouts. I use my stamps all the time to create backgrounds, accents, eye-candy and focal points. I decided to use this layout to show how you can create a whole scrapbook page using stamps instead of pictures to tell the story.

Stamps: Kids at Play,
Paper: Pool Party, Basic Gray, So Saffron, White
Ink: basic black
Accessories: crimper, punches,
Techniques: paper piecing

Cantaloupe Thanks - CC461

Just a plain and simple card that I made for the challenge.

Keywords: CC461
Stamps: Fast & Fabulous
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe
Paper Size: A2
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe
Accessories: Ribbon, punches

January Friends - TSSC297

I am really missing these colors for my January Classes and workshops. It was nice to use some of my scraps for my Monday Lunchtime Fun...


Keywords: CC423 TSSC297

Stamps: I {heart} hearts

Paper: Not Quite Navy, River Rock, Baja Breeze, Confetti, Soft Suede
Paper Size: A2
Ink: Baja Breeze
Accessories: Burlap Ribbon, Ribbon, Brads, Big Shot, Chalks, Heart Punch

January Baby - CC460

I love this color combination, I think it make for a great January selection. Also, I am excited because I made this card for my friend. Her baby is due in a couple weeks and they are so excited because they are having a boy. 

This card is also being made to complete the LNS Challenge 240 - Something New. If you would like more info about this challenge... Check it out at "LATE NIGHT STAMPERS"

 Keywords: CC460
Stamps: Baby Prints
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Night of Navy, White
Paper Size: A2
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Night of Navy
Accessories: Crimper, brads, ribbon

Family - SBSC335

I really liked Sally's Sketch to start the new year off with. It was very clean and simple. This page is for my heritage album.

Feelin' Fancy...

I have been out running around on errands most of the day, but I was able to get my January Dinning Table Center piece finished. I kept the cranberry and gold colors that I used for Christmas.

Feelin' Thrifty....

We have a savings debate going on at our house. Over the past week we have talked about different ways of saving without breaking the pocket book. I personally like putting 10% aside at the same time I pay my tithing. But with the thought of my lucky pennies last year and trying to teach my kids to become money independent, we decided to try a little lucky penny experiment this year. So along with taking on the 52 week saving challenge that has posted here on Facebook this past month, we have chosen to save up some pennies using two other plans... Just to see which plan has a higher amount at the end of 30 days.

PLAN #1. (Red & Pink Bottle) - "Double the Day"

This is a monthly plan is where you drop pennies in the bottle and you double pennies from the day before. So...

day 1 - one penny. 

day 2 - double the 1 penny to 2 pennies, 

day 3 - double the 2 pennies to 4 pennies,

day 4 - double the 4 pennies to 8 pennies

And so on for 30 days.

PLAN #2. (Blue & Yellow bottle) - "Pay the Day"

This plan can be either a monthly or a yearly plan, very easy and yet gets harder the longer you go into the year. So for the sake of our experiment we are going monthly...

day 1 - pay yourself 1 penny

day 2 - pay yourself 2 pennies

day 3 - pay yourself 3 pennies

day 4 - pay yourself 4 pennies

And so on for 30 days.

Now, I know, we are all adults here at our house and you are probably thinking that all we would have to do is to add up all the pennies on a calculator and we would know which plan will have the most pennies, but it is the habit of saving that I am trying to create here people... Lol... . Do you know how hard it is for some of us to plan ahead enough to drop even 1 penny a day into a jar, never mind 30 pennies. And how about 365 pennies that you would have to drop in the jar December 31st, if you were to choose plan 2 for the whole year? See, think about it!..... 

We would love to have anyone that wants to join us and also share stories of other savings plans you have all tried. We love to read stories of things that have worked.

Old Testament - "In the Beginning"

I have been working on my first few pages of my new inspirational monthly flip calendar that I am making to set on my desk for this year. We will be studying the old testament and I am so excited, I came a crossed my old seminary binder in one of the last boxes I needed to unpack and I found my sheet of Old Testament Riddles. I thought they would make good flip chart messages and daily motivation scriptures.          The class technique challenges that I have been working with encourages to use all of the basic  scrapbook tools to create a layout or page and this is what I came up with...  Paper: White, Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Playful Polka Dots,  Ink: basic black  Accessories: ribbon, buttons,