Tutorial - Make Your Own Glossy Letters

My Make Your Own Glossy, Dimensional Letters tutorial went live yesterday over at the Just Cre8 blog. It's so easy to turn undressed chipboard letters into the glossy title letters you see here and here. You probably have the supplies you need to do this at home. Everything I used is in this photo. Complete directions are in the blog post so check it out.

I'm busy now getting packed and ready for Destination Create next weekend. Ahh, what to pack? It's always the dilemma, isn't it? Last year I was organized weeks in advance, but this year I'm playing catch up. If you're in the same boat, you may want to take a peek at my What to Pack for a Crop post from DC last year. I'll be using it to get organized once again this year.

One of my blogging friends, fellow Just Cre8 Cre8ive Crew member and awesome scrapper, Jennifer, has a RAK give-away happening on her blog, celebrating her 7,000th visit. Congratulations, Jennifer! Get in on a chance to win by checking out this post.

I can't wait to see Jennifer and many other fantastic scrappy gals at Destination Create this weekend. Only 5 days and counting! Yahoo!

Pray Transform 4 x 4 Canvas

The May Creative and Scrap packs from Just Cre8 include this sweet 4" x 4" canvas, which I thought was just the perfect size to create a little daily reminder to hang beside my bedside table. This canvas took paint so nicely, and the Bo Bunny rub-ons included in the kit went on like a dream!

I will be posting a tutorial on the Just Cre8 blog showing how to create the look of puffy letters, which are so popular now, so look for that later this week.


I had an awesome time this past weekend attending Scrapfest for the first time, where I was able to visit with some awesome scrapping friends - Lee, Ann, Jennifer, Kimmie, Tina, Virginia, Patti and Elia, Deanna, Janice, Jen B, Heather, so many Scrap Divas from Burlington, and more. I had a fantastic time! Shame on me, though, for travelling with a dead camera battery! I'm hoping that Lee will have a photo to share sometime soon.

For the few that I did miss seeing, I'm hoping to catch up in a few weeks at Destination Create, and I can't wait! More about that soon.

I'm also excited about an altered photo frame I have almost complete with some awesome Scrapalicious product, so stay tuned!

May Just Cre8 Kit Reveal

Just Cre8's May kit is just packed with fun and delicious new scrapping product. The latest Jilly Bean Soup papers are bright, colourful, happy and perfect for spring. Then there are the adorable alpha stamps this month. I am totally in love with the little happy face that I used in my title here at left. So many uses for it! The "happy" in this layout is Scribblz Art. It makes a title so quick and easy! This page is about how well the girls have always played together. Right from when they were babies, they have loved being together.
The oldest photo is from their first Christmas. They loved that little play table so much! The other photos progress as they get older, giggling and singing together. The tree and bird from the JillyBean Soup papers were just begging to be cut out and foam dotted. Aren't they adorable?
This page is a bit more serious than the first. It's focus is on how important grandparents are in their grandchildren's lives. It can be so easy to be caught up in the material things these days - presents and toys. I try so hard to stress to our family that we don't want those things to be a priority for our kids. They don't need to have the perfect designer label or the most expensive sheets for their beds. What matters most is much less material than that - it's the time spent, one on one.

I've zoomed in on the journaling here; I hope you can read it. The main point of it is that it's the presence, not the presents, that matter most.

The entire Cre8ive Crew over at Just Cre8 did an amazing job with this kit. Take a look at their work in the gallery here. The amount of talent and inspiration you will find is just outstanding!

Just Cre8 May Sneaky Peek

Something fun is happening today over at Just Cre8! The May Creative and Scrap packs reveal happens tonight. Are you anxiously waiting? This kit is so much fun and packed with scrappy goodness. Be sure to take a look at it here.

Until then, does this little peek pique your curiosity? :-}

More Just Cre8 Cre8tions

Well, they say that the early bird catches the worm, and I sure hope that you have already ordered your April 2009 Creative or Scrap Pack from Just Cre8. Not surprisingly, this gorgeous kit flew off the shelves and is now completely sold out! I have made 5 layouts and a wall hanging from this kit, have at least one more layout roughed out, and there is still so much more goodness left in the box! This page, bff (aka best friends forever) features a photo of our girls warming up before their ballet class.
When I zoom in on the photo, you see that they are busily whispering and giggling amongst themselves. The journaling here says "Even in a room of tiny ballerina friends, you have the most fun just hanging out together!" It's so true, the girls each like to make friends, but tend to gravitate to each other in the end. It's so sweet!
Two summers ago, Vanessa went through a phase when she always wanted to be in dress up clothes. In this photo, we are at Evan's soccer game, and she insisted on dressing up like a ballerina to go to the game. Once we were there, she spent most of her time in a blur of motion, spinning, dancing and twirling around on the grass. I tried to capture a photo of her dancing around, but this was as close as I got. I think it captures her personality so well. Journaling says "A little birdie told me you are . . .
lively, optimistic, silly, quick, loving, determined, vibrant, brilliant, joyful and sweet." I just love the little Prima rhinestone wings that I used on this layout. I think they add to that sense of motion, and highlight her little angelic personality. See a close up of them at left. They are available in the Just Cre8 store here.

And guess what's coming next? How about a sneak peek at the Just Cre8 May kit? The big reveal is tomorrow, and I'm ready with a couple of layouts. Maybe I'll tempt you with a little peek, so be sure to check back! ;-}

Our Easter Weekend

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Easter weekend, complete with time spent with those who matter most. We had a beautiful weekend spending time together as a family, colouring eggs and just honouring the reason for the holiday. The kids also had a blast creating this Easter Bunny cookie house with Nan and Ray. It was sure fun to watch them make (and eat) it!
Our egg hunters were very quick this year, finding so many eggs that I think we will be in chocolate and candy from now until Halloween! It seems such a short time ago that Evan was the only one searching for eggs in our house because the girls were too small. This year they were awake before he was, and they combined their efforts to find more than their fair share! That's twins for you!

It can be hard for me to squeeze scrapping in on a weekend like this one, but I did get to play - with the awesome May Just Cre8 kit! The reveal is just a few days away, so stay tuned for a peek, coming very soon.

Thoughts About Forgiveness . . .

The moment I first saw this quote, I knew that I wanted to have it hanging somewhere special in my home. The orange dot Pink Paislee paper that I used here from the April 2009 Just Cre8 kit was just the right colour to be displayed in my upstairs hall, so I decided that I just had to use it to create this canvas. The quote says "To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and discover that the prisoner was you." Wow! Finding this quote was so timely for me; I just found it so moving. I thought the little Scenic Route bird evoked the feeling of freedom. After layering on some patterned paper and then sanding and inking it, I rubbed Stickles on the bird. I picked up the flowers at our local $ store. I'm so happy with how this wall hanging turned out.

There are more details on the techniques I used on this canvas, as well as a zoomed in photo, in the Just Cre8 gallery here. I have a few more layouts to post with Just Cre8's April kit before I give you a little peek at May, so check back soon! ;-}

For those celebrating Easter this weekend, I wish you a blessed weekend spent surrounded by those you love.

Then Jesus said "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do."
~ Luke 23:34

Gold Medal Game

We've been quite preoccupied with hockey in our household lately - so much so that it's really been putting a damper on my scrapping and blogging time! ;-} But seriously, it's all good - Evan's team took the gold in their division this morning! I have a ton more photos to edit, but here's one of Evan (in the foreground) and the boys rejoicing. Yahoo!

Now that the hockey season is over for the year, I hope to get a bit of scrapping in this weekend. Hmmm, maybe even with the soon to be released May kit from Just Cre8. . . .

Latest Scrapalicious Pages

It was fun dropping my latest pages off at Scrapalicious yesterday. The store was a hubbub of activity, as Vicki Boutin and Layle Koncar were there teaching an all-day class. I would loved to have attended it. Their classes are always an absolute blast! But with the latest scrapping trip I recently announced (it's Creative Escape, for those who weren't quite sure based on my previous post) I may be cutting back slightly on the scrapping budget between now and the end of August! But Arizona will be worth it!
This layout and the one above are created with the stunning new Basic Grey line Marrakech. I love the rich orange and blue tones in this collection. It's great for masculine or feminine layouts. I was quite balanced this time around, and did one layout about each of the kids. This pleased each of them! :-} The photo of Evan feeding the birds with Uncle Roy is from almost four years ago. He's so small! At left, Snow White (aka Alicia) serenades us on the piano on a sunny weekend afternoon. So totally unforgettable!
This page blends Marrakech with the soft and pretty Penny Lane by My Mind's Eye. The page shows a progression, with photos of Vanessa over the past three years. She is so mature now at six, and I love the main photo of her taken on a special day at school. Those of you who are scrappers probably already noticed that she is stamping in the photo - making her mama proud! ;-} I couldn't resist taking the title of this page - Don't Call Me Baby Anymore - from one of Vanessa's favourite songs.

(. . . and if you know the song, you are probably singing it now, aren't you! Don't worry, you aren't alone. I've been singing it all weekend!)

I still have more of these papers and am going to try to fit in a page or so more shortly. Have a great week, everyone.

Scrapalicious Sneak Peek

I had a great time playing with the combination of Basic Grey's gorgeous new Marrakech line and the new Penny Lane by My Mind's Eye. Here's one little peek at the latest pages I've created with my latest Scrapalicious DT kit . I've got a few finishing touches to put on a couple of layouts, but should have them ready to post in the next few days. Have a great weekend and stay tuned!

I'm Too Excited for Words

So I'll just post a picture instead . . . . . . Yippee!!

A Winning March Break

Well last week was March Break at our house, and we had a hectic week with the kids and all kinds of activities. First, I was lucky enough to see Fleetwood Mac in concert with my friend Leanne. We had great seats, the concert was awesome and we had a fantastic time. This was the view from our seats, and if you look really hard, you can see Stevie Nicks belting out a song on stage!
Our girls turned six years old last month, and some generous family members helped us pay for tickets to Disney on Ice as part of their birthday present. The show was fantastic and the kids were in awe for the majority of the performance. While the well loved characters were great to see, the kids vote for the best part of the show was It's a Small World.
I had a lot of fun trying to get photos of the show. The smoke that was present so much of the time made it tough to get great shots, but our seats were nice and close to the ice and I managed to capture many of the night's memories. The characters closed the show by shaking hands with the kids, which they loved. If you have a chance to go, I highly recommend it.
I closed off our winning week by drawing for my 2nd Blogoversary RAK. For the first time, I tried using Random.org to select a winning number for me, and turned out it selected comment #7. The girls, however, not pleased with having their role of selecting a slip of paper from a basket taken away, became involved in the process by making "Congrats" signs and posing for a photo, left.

Thanks to everyone who posted comments and shared their ideas about tutorials. Congratulations to Chelle who has won this RAK give-away. Chelle, please e-mail me with your postal mailing info at mama to 3 tots AT gmail D0T com (with no spaces) and I will get your prize out to you as soon as I can.

I have more to talk about, but it's late and I need to get to bed, so stay tuned for some upcoming Scrapalicious layouts and more of the latest scoop from our house. Have a great week!

Just Cre8's April Reveal

The Just Cre8 April kit is totally gorgeous! It's just bursting with colour and so perfect for spring The floral papers from the Bloom & Grow line by My Mind's Eye were calling my name and just asking to be hand cut and placed in the corner of this layout. And for those who don't do much cutting, the die cuts from this line are just as stunning and so easy to use.
Are these girls beautiful or what? Our girls enjoy dress up play, but seem to love it all that much more when they have a playdate. It's as if they think the fun is multiplied with the number of girls playing - and they're probably right about that part. On Family Day, two my cousins and their kids came over to play and we all had a great time. The girls broke out the dress up bin and tried on costume after costume, while the boys dug out Evan's old trucks. Then went all went to Swiss Chalet for dinner and had a ton of fun.
I really wanted to do a boy page with these papers, and this page about Evan was the result. As I was going over title ideas in my head for this page, the name of this paper collection jumped out at me as I trimmed the product ID strip from the paper, and the page became Bloom & Grow. The photos here are of Evan at age 2 and age 8, and the journaling talks about how much he has changed as he's grown. He sure looks grown up in the later picture, don't you think? In my last post I showed a little peek at the title for this page.
I did a little more hand cutting of the floral paper in the upper corner of this page, too. This release was the first for Just Cre8's new 2009 Cre8ive Crew, and you can check out our bios here. There is a ton of talent on this team, and I'm so excited to be a part of it. See what the rest of the team did this this kit in the Just Cre8 gallery.
This layout is a tribute to how much the girls love being in a double swing. Since our girls are twins, they grew up playing in the green baby double swing together. They loved it. Once they outgrew it - believe me - there were plenty of tears when it was time to take it down. But now they play together on the big kid's double swing and enjoy it just as much. The Scribblz Art word Spring is featured on this layout.

To find out more about Just Cre8's awesome monthly kits, click here.


And I'm not finished with this kit yet! There will be more to follow later in the month.

Just a Peek!

Now that it's officially March 15th, the Just Cre8 April 2009 kit is now up and I can officially give you this little look at it. Not only does this little sneak peek let you see a tiny piece of one of my pages, but if you know your scrapping paper manufacturers, it tells you one of the paper lines in the kit, too! ;-} I'll be posting my first few layouts with this kit as soon as I get a chance.

Stay tuned!

Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow . . .

I don't know about you, but I can't stop thinking about the April 2009 kit reveal coming up tomorrow at Just Cre8.

On March 15th, the new 2009 Cre8ive Crew will showcase work from their first Just Cre8 kit - and it's a gorgeous one. I'm excited to upload my creations and also am excited to see what everyone else has created. Be sure to check it out here. Oh, and there's another reason I chose this title and photo - I'm lucky enough to be heading to the Fleetwood Mac concert this week with my friend Leanne. I can't wait! So what if I'm dating myself - if you're too young to know who this group is, you don't know what you're missing!

Besides, any rumours you may be hearing of my advanced age are just that - Rumours! That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it! ;-}

BTW, Sunday is the last day to enter the draw for my blogoversary RAK. Check out the post here and enter before tomorrow night for a chance to win. Don't miss out!

New From Scrapalicious

Don't you love the die cut in this photo that says Pure Joy? I sure do, and I'm feeling pretty joyful looking at this lovely new DT kit I'll be working with for Scrapalicious. The blend of rich jewel tones from Basic Grey's beautiful new Marrakech collection and the soft and pretty My Mind's Eye's Penny Lane line looks wonderful together, and I'll be creating with them soon, so stay tuned!

More Scrapalicious Designs

I've finally managed to post these two additional layouts I made with my latest DT kit from Scrapalicious. I thought it would be fun to scrap a boy layout using the Twitterpated line from Imaginisce, so I used these two adorable photos of my sweet nephews. Jared is the big brother and Nathan the little, and I was lucky enough to see them when I was in Edmonton in January. Aren't they adorable brothers? I don't know about you, but I think this line works quite nicely for masculine layouts.
This page is made with Basic Grey Urban Prairie and Pink Paislee papers. This layout reminds me of the fun we had last summer seeing the animals at African Lion Safari. As the journaling says, "It wasn't the lions that we found most memorable at African Lion Safari. Nor was it the acrobatic monkeys, the tall giraffes or the crazy ostrich who came right up to the car window. These beautiful flamingos, so peaceful and calm, captured our hearts." We loved the waterpark too, but that's another page!
Here is a detail shot of the Urban Prairie papers and the hand cutting. I have more Basic Grey coming up soon with their lovely Marrakech line, so look for that coming soon.

And if you haven't already, be sure to post a comment by March 15th for a chance to win my Blogoversary RAK mentioned in this post. You can't win if you don't enter!

Scrapalicious Oakville

If you're local, you really NEED to head to the huge Customer Appreciation Sale-a-bration sale today at Scrapalicious Oakville. See more details here. With 50% off of papers and scrapbook supplies, many fixtures for sale and an "everything-must-go" attitude, you would be crazy to miss out. Are you going? I definitely won't miss out. See you there!

11,000 Maniacs (aka My 2nd Blogoversary RAK!)

I really wanted the title of my newest RAK post to be 10,000 Maniacs. Since 10,000 Maniacs is one of my all time favourite bands, I thought it would be cool to give a RAK away once my blog hit 10,000 view - a little tribute to my readers and to the band at the same time. Well, life and time managed to slip a way from me, and here I am already past 11,000 - definitely too far past 10,000 for a 10,000 RAK.

But since I still want to do a little give-away, I though I would do one today. You see, today is my blog's second birthday, so I have a doubly good reason for a RAK! Welcome to my 11,000 view and 2nd Blogoversary RAK. It's totally easy to win, so I hope you will all participate. Here's what's included:

Heidi Swapp and Cherry Arte patterned papers
Autumn Leaves Stampology clear acrylic stamp set
Prism cardstock and Bazzill die-cut cardstock
K & Company and Colorbok chipboard alphabets
American Crafts ribbons
Junkitz transparent ribbon
A Colorbok heart-shaped mini album ('cause I love that you include my blog in your day!) ;-}

What do you have to do to be entered into the draw to win this RAK? It's easy, really. I recently did a blog post about the decorative candle tutorial I created for the Just Cre8 blog. I had a ton of fun creating this tutorial, and would love to make more. Here's where you come in. I would like you to post a comment mentioning what type of tutorial you would like to see. It could be a specific stamping technique, an altered item or an embellishment creation - whatever you would love to learn to do. You have until March 15th at 11:59 pm EDT to enter your comment in order to be eligible for the draw.

Go for it!

Thank you!

OK, I totally need to play catch up!

Recently (relatively speaking, anyway!) I was lucky enough to be sent these blog awards from 3 of my scrappy friends - Mary, Marge and Jennifer. I'm so grateful to count these gals as my blogging friends.

I'm embarrassed to admit how ridiculously behind I am in responding to these gals' tag requests. So far behind, in fact, that tagging anyone would be almost moot, since most of my blogging pals have already been tagged. So instead of tagging more bloggers, I'm going to do a little RAK in my next few posts. Stay tuned and check it out.

And I just want to say thanks to everyone - the gals who tagged me, the family and friends who check in here regularly, and all of the scrappers. Thank you for visiting my little corner of the world. It really gives me a boost to know that you follow me and my family through all of the craziness, the scrappiness and the happpiness. Thanks!