NSD Retreat Recap....

The first week of May I had the good fortune to run away from home.  I went away on a scrapbook retreat hosted by Cat's Creations (read all about what's newsy on her blog!)  I haven't been on a retreat for ages so this was WONDERFUL. 
What does one do at a retreat?  CREATE. CREATE. LEARN, PLAY, LAUGH, EAT and occasionally SLEEP.  Cat offers all of this and more.   National Scrapbook Day at Cat's takes FOUR days to celebrate.  We had a mass of classes to chose from, along with inclusive classes only available to the retreaters.  (But we'll get to those in a bit.)
I worked on some layouts for my kids scrapbooks.  Catching up on the school portraits for each year thing.  The above is Erin in the seventh grade.  I used some Heidi Swapp, Pink Paislee, my fabulous Tim Holtz stamps and a variety of tissue and washi tapes. I also played with goodies from a RAK I received a while back.

This page was created with papers from Graphic 45  (LOVE THESE)  I also dug out some Teresa Collins.  Erin is an eighth grader and they're referred to as "Crazy Eights"  So, I'm building everything around 8.  Now that I'm home, I'll bust out some metal embellishements and dig out my large chipboard pieces.

This last layout is built on Elephant Dung... WHAAAT?   It's a Cat's Retreat thing.. gotta go to find out!  This is actually Authentique mixed with some old MME and washi tapes.  The laser cut bicycle is my FAVORITE and I bought it at Cat's.   Ray has a new toy and he's constantly coming up with wonderful chipboard embellishments for us!  :D  This is Taylor at his spring concert.  Taylor is a freshman and a member of the Weatherford Community College Choir.. (it was a great concert!!)

Now these pages are still under construction, I have titles, journaling and embellies to add. I have three projects to share later.  I took three classes while on retreat, two taught by Mr. Pickle himself and one by Cat (her's is my favorite)

If you're able to attend any of Cat's retreats.. I strong recommend it (she has THREE a year), if you can't make a retreat, check her blog or website because she ALWAYS has something going on for you to learn or buy.  Card classes, mini-scrapbooks, tags... you name it.  You'll be hanging with some awesome women, learning fun techniques and creating/preserving your photo's. 

You Make Me....

It's reveal time over at CSI this week.  Debbi has come up with a beautiful fresh case file for us!! Are you ready for some fabulousness?  Here we go then!

 

I used the following evidence:

Bicycle - A wonderful metal bicycle element I found in clearance at Michaels

Circles - my photos are cut into circles

Birds:  I used a Hero Art stamp and stamped my bird in Scarlet onto vellum.  I also used some bird washi tape

Music Notes:  I used papers by Teresa Collins "Vintage Finds"

Twine:  I wrapped my journal tags with twine

Vellum:  I stamped "Happy" onto vellum for my title

 

My testimony, I took the ques for "Song Title/Lyrics" for inspiration.   "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Blood, Sweat & Tears.. and tweek it a bit "You Make me.."   And from there built my journaling around it and these photo's of my youngest daughter.

Sarah is just so content to pick dandelions and blow, completely unaware I was there taking pictures. 
My papers include Authentique, Teresa Collins, MME.  Stamps are by Hero Arts and Stampabilities.

Sisters

It's reveal time again!!  And I'm tickled that I'm on time for the first time in AGES!  This month has been FULL of funky out of the box case-file color challenges!  Part of me has been thrilled with the challenge and the other part is just plain relieved and ready for a new month full of fabulous colors and evidence to test my skill set!  So, head over to CSI for all the details on how to play along and to view the reveal UP CLOSE!

So this week we had Mr T and ET inspiring us... (I know crazy!) and if you're scratching your head.. GO OVER TO CSI and check it out!

My evidence includes:
FLOWERS:  I used up old Prima stash, and Petaloo stash after recoloring them with my Distress Stains and some Tattered Angels mists.
HOUSES:  I had this fabby chippy with some "city houses" and was excited to use it!  I coated it with Silver Distress Paint and then went back with silver distress stain, Ripe Persimmon DS and Weathered Wood DS.. hopefully the close ups will show the subtle color changes.
NUMBER ACCENTS:  My number washi tape
METAL:  Sisters in metal letters, some TH mini staples and the metallic finish on the chippie
LEDGER PAPER:  "Now and Later" by Teresa Collins
JEWELS:  Prima flourishes and some fancy Crystals

My testimony is based on "unlikely friendship"
These are pictures of my daughters from Easter 2008.  They rarely cooperate with posing together these days.. they rarely cooperate together period..

"Sometimes you two are pals, sometimes you two fight, sometime you're the unlikeliness of allies but no matter what, you two are sisters.  Sisters, young or old, till the end"

For this layout I used a fabulous sketch by Susan Stringfellow from her blog "Sketch Savvy" .  This is sketch #95 with a few tweaks of my own!  (Remember when you use a sketch, remember to share and give credit to the creator, playing nice is nice!)

Hope you enjoyed!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Busy Bee!

Wow it's Wednesday over at Cat's and it's time to share!!  It's almost National Scrapbook Day and this year I get to attend a retreat hosted by Cat & Mitchell's RV Resort.   I can not wait!!  I haven't been to a retreat for ages so I'm very excited.  And very BUSY preparing.  We've been counting down on Cat's blog, and following her adventures with Anne (and the GOD Tim Holtz and demi-GOD Mario Rossi)  She got to play with LOADS of cool Ranger Inc and Tim Holtz Products.... How cool?  I'm sooooooo jealous.

So, I took that and decided I needed my own Holtz-ified Apron.  I was being very picky about my apron choice, as there are loads of "ready to decorate" aprons out there.   I found one that was perfect.  It's made for the larger 'bosomed" women out there.. which had my gf Stephanie and laughing in the aisle because we're geekie and quoting "Miss Kay" from Duck Dynasty.

I took a canvas tag made by Canvas Corp, pulled out some rubber stamps including my "Way with Words" set by TH & Stampers Anonymous, grabbed some distress stains, Archival Inks (black and sepia) and my water pen.  This was so much fun and so therapeutic.  My fingers and desktop was covered in inks but happiness is messiness!

I've pin this tag to my apron.   I also stamped directly onto my apron with some Citrus Andirondack Paint.  The nice thing is, this isn't done!  I can keep adding and altering it!!  Well, time to get back to my "to do" list.  I have layouts to finish before next week, packing and getting the house all in order for David and the girls.  (They get a "snow day" next week!)

 Today is Wow! Wednesday over on Cat's Creations Scrapbooks blog where you can share something you've created with products from Cat's store.  Wow! Wednesday runs for two weeks, giving you plenty of time to share something and to visit everyone's blogs and leave comments for a chance to win a prize.

I hope you enjoyed this.  If you're looking for more inspiration, go visit Cat's blog over the next week or so.  You can click and enjoy some fabulous creations.  Leave love (comments) at each blog and you can be entered to win some fabulous blog candy from Cat! 

UP

It's reveal time over at CSI and there's so much to share!!  We have NEW Design Team members to welcome aboard.  These ladies have so much talent and so many wonderful styles to be inspired by! 

This weeks casefile is "funky" by my definition, these colors are really out of my box.  They pushed me and I thought this would take forever.  Instead, this layout just popped up and practically designed and created itself!

I used the following evidence:
Clouds:  my favorite "go to" chippie.  I covered them with papers by Echo Park, Everyday Eclectic collection by Allison Kreft.
Polka Dots:  I used pp by MME; Rosy "Love" Blossoms in the Lost and Found2 collection, Pink Paislee; Prairie Hill Collection, accent banners from Fancy Pants; The Good Life Banners
Flowers:  some ancient Prima (Got Flowers) and flowers created by using an old CM mini flower punch.
Pen Works: I played just a little with my white gel pen
Triagles:  The banners from Fancy Pants.

The journaling prompt was UP.   What comes up must come down.... but I also used the prompt the suggestion to document something silly. 

Okay so scrappers will LEAVE home and crop with friends on occasion.  And it seemed in this particular time of life, David will ALWAYS call me when I tried to run away from home.  Like, I'm sitting there worrying how everyone was.  (Folks, I LEFT on purpose, I can wait until I get home to learn the days events..)  So, this is how the phone call began,

"Are you having fun with your girlfriends?  Because EVERYTHING here is just FINE...."

When you husband leads with those opening words, WHAT GOES THRU YOUR MIND?  Yeah...

"We have 2 single rope swings in our backyard tree.  You and your sister LOVE being pushed..  Daddy gets you singing "north & south" and your sister going "east & west".   You have to time the swinging right or well..
This time your swings got tangled and sent both of you spinnng into the tree.  You, face first and your sister backwards.  Three years old and your first black eye.

Have fun with your girlfriends, we're just FINE here... Really."

I've had several more calls similar to this since... ALWAYS while scrapbooking with friends.   And you kids are ALWAYS just fine....

I'm going on a retreat in May.... I wonder what you and your daddy will do while I'm gone.  I know he won't be able to restrain himself.  I'll get at least one phone call.  And you'll be just fine.....