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. . . .