I Love A Challenge !

And that is what this was. My friend Susan emailed me with a picture of this sheet of paper.



And she challenged me to replicate a few of those birds using dies. She wasn't picky about which dies I was to use. So I pulled out the Spellbinders, QuicKutz, and Boss Kuts and tried to come as close as I could. I was fine until I got to the birds' feet!

No die was going to make his feet unless I pieced them together which would have been okay but I got out my trusty Cricut, George Cartridge, and my Cricut Design Studio to make the feet.

I have to say it was fun to do something out of the norm. Here are my results:



They aren't an exact match for the birds on the paper but they are close enough. I even went to far as to put google eyes on one of them, just for fun.

Be challenged this week - try something new and different. Experiment with different shapes to create something new and unique.

Happy Scrappin' !!!

Brenda

Not Just For Easter

When I get a new set of dies I try to think outside of the norm. The February die release from QuicKutz was so cute. After I used them for "Spring" and "Easter" I tried to think of something else.

This is what came to mind.





I then thought this would be cute with "Glad to see you are coming out of your shell." on the inside. Or for a teen that was getting ready to be in a play or musical you could "Break An Egg" instead of "Break A Leg."

And did you know that there is a font that matches the new QuicKutz Chick-A-Dee Font? There is and it is a free download called "Heartbreaker."

Happy Scrappin' ! ! !

Brenda

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons

What do you get the person who has almost anything he wants?

That is my deli ma every time one of my parents or my husband has a birthday (or when a gift giving holiday rolls around.)

So I decided that I would make a coupon book. These little books can be made to fit any occasion or any age.

You can use a wide variety of dies to fit the theme or occasion and the nice thing about this is you can give as many or as few "favors" as you want to. Mine is a little 5 page coupon book but each coupon is good for a number of uses. Not to mention that I had an ulterior motive - when the coupon book is used I want it back so that I can use it on a scrapbook page and list the dates, times, and requested "favors" he made.

This is fun, but giver beware, the recipient will expect you to follow through with the coupons.















These were a lot of fun to make and I used a variety of dies including Go-Kreate, QuicKutz, Boss Kuts, and my Cricut with the Cricut Design Studio. Let's see what you can do with this idea!

Happy Scrappin' !!!

Brenda

When Only A "Snarky" Card Will Do

... you have to make it.

Sometimes you want to surprise a friend with a card but you are in a joking mood and sometimes you just want to get a point across. I won't say which this card was intended but I had a ball making it.

I used a Spellbinder Nestabilities Circles and Squares, the new QuicKutz Chick-A-Dee Alphabet, and then for the bomb wick's blast I used the QuicKutz new Rev Chick & Egg. For the inside of the card I used a free download font called "Heartbreakers." (It is a dead ringer for the Chick-A-Dee Font.

In any case when you are feeling a little "snarky" don't settle for a Hallmark Card -make your own and get the point across and scrap away some of those aggressions.





It is just all in a day's scrapping.

Happy Scrappin' !!!

Brenda

Missed Events

There are those times when our children are growing up that we just can't be with them at every event that they go to. This LO represents one of those times for me. I was always available for room mother, to chaperone field trips, or to do what ever the teacher needed. In 2006 I went back to work for a short time thinking that my daughter didn't need me as much as she used to. I quickly found out she may not have needed me but I still needed to be involved with the things that she was doing.

In April 2006 her class went to the St. Louis Zoo for a field trip and I wasn't able to go because I was scheduled to work. I was just sick about it. For the very first time I was missing something in her life and was feeling guilty and left out.

One of the other mother's knew this and snapped just this one picutre for me of the group of girls that day.



I was still able to scrap the event for my daughter but it wasn't the same as being there with her to share those special moments. My employment only lasted a year and now I am back to enjoying those little everyday things with her and her friends.

Life is just too short to miss those special events.

Happy Scrappin' !!!

Brenda

Easter Is Just Around The Corner

I love Easter. My children have outgrown the chocolate bunnies and baskets but there is still a gift waiting Easter morning.

In 2006; however, my mom took us to my younger sister's house and my daughter was introduced to Peeps. This little duck was dropped by a hawk in my sister's yard and when she found it she was not really sure what to do with it. Being the animal lover that she is she nursed it to health and researched what they ate, what their needs were and made this duck comfortable... she had every intention of setting the recuperated bird free. Little did she know that the duck now looked at her as Mommy and would never leave. This duck has grown into the most beautiful white duck that I have ever seen.

In any case this was the first time that we got to see the duck and my daughter fell in love at first sight. So out came the camera and I started snapping pictures.

It was an interesting Easter.



Sometimes when there really isn't an Easter Basket and a Chocolate Bunny to take pictures with sometime an unusual set of circumstances will allow you to still scrapbook the day with a memory and sometimes the best moments are unexpected and not really what you thought they would be. Those are the special moments.

Happy Scrappin' !!!

Brenda

I Just Love Learning Something New!

I am always on the prowl to try something new in my LO, card making, and other craft projects. While I was surfing one day I found an amazing blog that belongs to Pam (http://thriftyscrapbook.blogspot.com/) It just so happened that the day I was itching for something new to try she had posted the most amazing card and instructions for Dahlias folding! I was hooked. (PLEASE go check her blog out!)

I do have a Cricut which is what she made her card with but I have been so engrossed in my QuicKutz, Boss Kuts, and Spellbinder Dies that I wanted to use them to make a card very similar to Pam's. My card is a blatant scrap-lift - but I contacted Pam and asked permission to post my copy of her original and she gave me permission.

Here is my version of her card:



Once I finished that card I had to make more! (These things are like eating potato chips - you can not eat just one.)

So here are a few more Dahlias cards that I created:

This on is more masculine.



Then this one is for St. Patrick's Day.



The inside of this card has an Irish Blessing.



But then I could not stop and thought why not make one of these using a round scalloped die and make it bigger and a shaped card instead of putting it on a rectangle card. I love the results.



And then inside my card I put my greeting.



I loved making these so much that it left me thirsting for more folding techniques so I googled paper folding and you would not believe the sites that came up. So I tried my hand at Tea Bag Folding.

Here are two of my card creations using squares of paper.





Each card is unique just by changing on simple fold or the color of the papers.

I hope that you will all go over to Pam's blog and check out her other wonderful designs as she has a gift.

Pam thank you for sharing your wonderful talent and giving me permission to scrap-lift your design.

Happy Scrappin' !!!

Brenda

Capturing Life's Big Moments

We've all had those moments where we wish we had our camera with us or was just able to get a picture of the moment that means so much to us. This event was one of those moments. We as participants were not allowed to take pictures but luckily others captured the important moments for us!

Easter Vigil 2006 we added two children and their parents to our family. We became God-Parents to Karlie and Sean McGiffen. We were lucky enough that others shared their pictures with us so that I would always have a memento of this very special day.

In sharing this LO with you I am also sharing a technique video.











I hope this helps expand the use of your border dies for not only journaling but page accents and for cards. I also hope you will visit http://www.scrapyland.com for your scrapbooking needs.

Happy Scrappin !!!

Brenda

Changes In My Life

There have been many changes to my life in the past two weeks. One was life changing and the other very exciting.

First the life changing event I didn't think I was going to survive. My mom who just turned 69 years of age had a horrible car accident. My mom was on her way home from work when she hit a patch of black ice, the car went out of control and she went into on-coming traffic and was trapped under and tractor-trailer truck. Looking at her car I do not know how she survived this.

She sustained extensive injuries and underwent very lengthy tedious surgeries to repair her clavicle and crushed legs. The good news is she survived all of this and will eventually recover. The bad news is that is going to be a very long, hard, and painful recovery. For a while mom won't be able to come home. She was transferred from the hospital into a rehabilitation center but is now closer to us. She is a strong and very determined woman and I have no doubt that she will get through all it. (I may not but she will.)

The second and exciting thing that happened I was released from my Design Team duties from Scrap Mart. I will not bore you with details but I will say that this was a mutual decision but I am tickled pink over this because now I can create for Scrapy Land and that is where my friend Susan heads up the blog. She is fabulous, has a wonderful sense of humor, and she is right on target when it comes to what is good and right in the world of scrapbooking. Hopefully you will be seeing a lot of new designs because I am just stoked about this and can't wait to get back to my table.

For a short while I will be caring for my parents needs but will create when ever I get a few spare minutes. Please be patient with me as family needs always come first.

I have a couple of videos in the works, several LOs started and a couple of cards finished. I am posting those two cards today.

First one for St. Patrick's Day... because I am Irish and can't wait for that holiday.



And this one because I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends who have been here for support over the past two weeks.



I will be back in the groove very soon.... with more videos, projects, LOs, and cards.

Happy Scrappin!!!!

Brenda