Expressway Family Centre Tree Auction...

I have been so busy the last month that I haven't had time to post so I thought I'd share a little Christmas inspiration with all of you who check in on my blog.  These layouts were created to donate to the Expressway Family Centre's Annual Twisted Tree Auction on November 25th.    I have to say it's always a blast to go to this event and this year was no different.

Christmas gifts

So I had to get a present ready to mail off and wanted to send something special with it since we won't be seeing this special someone at Christmas.  I created a bookmark.  Nothing fancy, but I thought it was cute.

We also mailed out some "Magic Reindeer Food" so Santa will find them this year too!  The kids loved this and couldn't wait to use it.

New Scrapbook Room!!!!

I've been allowed to move my scrapbook stuff into it's own room in our house!!!  I'm so excited!  It's not a very big room, but it'll be great to hide all my stuff away from the boys.  Lachlan's becoming quite a little monster when it comes to getting into my craft stuff.  Here's the before picture of my scrapbook area downstairs in our living space...

And now, my newly painted scrapbook room...

Once I get all my stuff in and organized again (you saw the amount of stuff I have LOL!)  I'll post some more pictures.
~A

Crop time in Virden

So I headed out to Virden for the night out with some amazing ladies.  This is what I spent my night doing.  Creating little bears that will be put on layouts to sell in the new year.  These guys are so cute!

Harvest Ball Crop in Miami, Manitoba

So this weekend I headed out to Manitoba for a crop in Miami that some of Marc's aunts attend.  As soon as I found out they were going I called Mom and asked if she wanted to go.  I love the fact that Marc's mom has gotten into scrapbooking and she's awesome at it!  I love the simple and beautiful layouts she was a busy little bee like myself.  We both got lots done and it was great to get some time away from my boys.  I didn't have to worry about anyone, myself included.  Meals were provided so we didn't have to worry about anything except creating! 

Here's a picture of Mom and my table (a little messy)

The rest of the aunts and ladies we scrapbooked with (a LOT messy LOL!)

One of my layouts I was working on.  A scraplift that I think came from the Two Peas website.  I took a picture to remember how I wanted to set up the title.  I'll be posting some more layouts as the week goes on.

Lisa's beautiful designs and her creative make and take display.  This lady is amazing!  It was great to finally meet some of the wonderful design team members and staff at Love is in the Details.  It was also my first time into their store and I was so impressed!  It was bright, beautiful, and so much stuff I hadn't seen before!

A picture from the tables where we sat to eat.

My messy workspace.

A picture of me and my messy workspace : )

It was a great day.  I came back to be fully energized and ready to take on my super busy life.
~A

Cropin' in Virden

So I had the chance this past weekend to spend some "cropping" time with an awesome bunch of ladies in Virden.  I really enjoyed the conversations and ideas that each lady had.  Thanks gals!  It was a blast!

Here's one of the few layouts I did at this crop.  I was having more fun sharing stories, doing a demo and checking out everyone else's projects!

Beginners Scrapbooking Class

I've been putting together my beginners scrapbooking class and I've been having a great time creating my examples.   to put on in Oxbow and I've been having a great time!

~A 

Getting "Back in the Habit"

So I've been getting back into my scrapbooking after having Wyatt and I'm really having a blast.  I'm being inspired by everything from new stamps and punches to older papers that I forget I even had!  It's been a real treat to get some time to scrapbook and although it takes me a lot longer to finish a layout I have to say when it's finished I really do appreciate it more.  I've been organizing and sorting through my supplies and came across this photo of Preston from last year that I had to pull some of those older papers and make a layout of him "keeping cool in summer".  Enjoy!

~A

Flip Flop Album

This is a mini album I've been working on for a tween class in Oxbow.  I just love how it came together.  I sure hope the kids enjoy making these neat albums.  My favorite thing is the "algae" looking fibre that I found in my stash and got super excited to use : )

~A

Introducing...

Our Little Monkey!

I finally finished this layout today.  I started it before Wyatt was born so all I had to do is add the photos, but I needed my cricut for the title.  After I got it back from my mom I had so much stuff on my desk that I wasn't able to set it up LOL!  Well, I spent this weekend cleaning up my scrapbook area and clearing off my desk.  Although it's not completely clear I took some time out to complete this layout. 

This is a scraplift, but when I saw the original layout by Barbara Mahlmann I knew I had to make it for my own scrapbook.  Just click on her name and scroll down the page to view the original called Monkeying Around. 

~A

Name tags

Well I had the opportunity to get to my scrapbook desk today and I just had to make some name plates for these awesome boxes I purchased from Walmart for $5 for all 3!  They were in the clearance area and I had photo boxes on my list to purchase so that when I have memorabilia for my boys I can put it into their box and keep it organized and off my table until I scrapbook it.  It also helps me remember what items belong to which child LOL!  They are slightly bigger than a photo box, but who cares when you can find a deal like that : )  I used some scraps of paper since my scrap pile is getting very large ( I really need to tackle that next in my organizing), my barely used border punches, and even pulled out an old pair of decorative scissors.

My tip for today is use what you have!  You don't always have to have the newest and latest items.  Go though your stash and see how you can use items that you've had for a while and bring them back to life.  

Enjoy!

~A

Come on and have some fun!

I love taking classes from Big Picture Scrapbooking and this freebie one is going to be great!  If you are needing a little inspiration I recommend you come on and join the fun.  It's FREE!  And since the kit is sold out it's the prefect opportunity to use what's in your stash.

Welcome Wyatt Herve

So before to many of you had a chance to guess at what we were having I took this layout off of my blog and now I`m sharing it with you. -A

One for the road...

I know, I know...for those of you that are keeping up with my blogs I haven't posted much on my scrapbooking blog.  It's just been hectic around here with baby due, getting ready for the arrival of this little one, all the appointments, keeping this house running, and just the daily day to day stuff that I haven't had too much time to scrapbook.  That and anything I've been making is premade for this baby so all I have to do is take pics (and I refuse to spill the beans on what gender this one is until the birth LOL!)  So before I head off camping for the week (and no, I'm not bringing scrapbooking stuff with me this time, sigh) here's one I've made up for when we bring baby home.  I love Doodlebug Designs!  Here's another DD layout with their new paper line On the Go.  What can I say I love the whimsy, kiddie designs.  It's just totally me.  Enjoy!

~A

My Space

I don't think I've ever shared a picture of my scrapbooking area (probably because I've been so busy organizing, dunging out, and it around) so while I was taking some pictures of the boys I thought "hey, my area isn't a complete disaster today, let's take a picture" LOL!  I still have lots of emptying out and such to do, but it is starting to take shape : )

Just sharing...

So it's been a while since I've posted anything and don't think that I'm not scrapping because I have been.  I'm just finding it difficult to finish up my pages with some journaling, special poems, or finding dates again : )  Hopefully soon I will get my container of "to be finished" layouts finished and be able to start all over again, but when that bug hits you, you all know that things get pushed aside and I just have to create something new.  I've been working on some premade baby layouts for after this baby arrives so all I have to do is worry about the pictures.

For right now though, I thought I'd share a new layout using the Doodlebug Mother Nature line.  These pictures I took last year of Preston and I've been looking for the perfect paper since.  This line is so cutesie and just makes you want to do your part to save the earth : )

Enjoy!

~A

Finally!

After waiting patiently (yeah right!) for the new Doodlebug Barnyard collection to come out I have finally created a layout with the papers.  I love this line!  Heck I love this company!  Anyone who knows me knows I love the whimsical, kiddie style that DB creates.  And I have to send a big shout out to a great gal, Amber who inspired me at the Brandon Scrapbook Convention to start using some tools I've had in my stash for a couple of years and have forgot about.  The first is my edge distresser.  I totally forgot I even had one (ummm...sorry 2 LOL!) and now find myself using it a little more.  I am having so much fun ripping and tearing and making a mess...It's great!  I've even put it into my tool caddy so that it's always on my table and easily accessible.  The second is my craft mat which I bought for a specific use I was taught from a class and never actually did that technique again since I never bought all the other product at the time.  It was to do with distressing inks and I still don't own any to this day LOL!  I was digging for my photo paper and saw it yesterday and took it out of the box and used it with my gimmer mists instead.  I think I'll be using it lots more with my stamping as well!

~A

So I'm not getting too much done...

but I am having fun creating again : )  I was going through my wallet and emptying it out when I came upon my receipt for the ultrasound Marc and I did in Winnipeg to find out the sex of the baby.  We aren't telling anybody what we found out, but I decided I had to do a quick layout about "the Price we Paid to Know".

~A

Before we head out for the weekend...

here's another layout that I've completed lately.  I love scrapbooking in the moment pictures.

~A

Been a little quiet on the home front

Well scrapbooking front anyways...

After all those awesome scrapbooking crops I've been attending I was kinda out of stock on adhesive so I went back to organizing until I was able to get some more.  I organized Prestons second album from 4 months to 1 year only to find I had started another album with some layouts in it.  D'oh!  Oh well, now I've decided that I want the same album to finish off his first year as I started it which means I have to find some old, discontinued albums to finish up his first year and have been on the search since for the Chatterbox Spruce Stripe album.  I tell ya I have my work cut out for me.  Just when I think I come across a website that has them I note the copywrite symbol at the bottom of the page is waaaayyyy out of date.  Come on!  Take that dang old site off the web so I am not wasting time!  GRRRRRR.

Afterward I was able to stock up on supplies again, I have been working on another 8x8 baby album to get out of my stash and sell at the Ceramic Corner.  Now that that is finished, I plan on doing the finishing touches on some more layouts I made at the crops and when I'm done I'll be posting some more inspiration for you all : )

Take care!
~A

How I do my journalling

I know there are lots of you out there that hate to journal because you hate your handwriting or you just don't think it's good enough or whatever the excuse may be, but it is very important to the people who look at your books!  I know I have been a bad journaller for years, but I am trying really, really hard to write on all my layouts now.  Even if it's a few sentences about the event, the date, whatever.  Leave your legacy on your pages with the photos : )

I thought I'd share with you all how I like to journal.  What I like to do is write everything out with a pencil to start.  You can write on a seperate piece of paper or on your page.  I like to write on my page so I know approximately how much room I have to write in and how much I should write.  I also write lightly and slowly so my writing doesn't look like "chicken scratch" like you write on a shopping list and it will be able to be erased afterwards.

Next I will write over top with pen.  Again writing slowly, I don't try to be precise with writing the letter on top of where I wrote them in pencil, but just writing comfortably.  The lead size of a pencil may vary from your pen so being exact is very difficult.

And when you're all said and done just erase your pencil marks.  I like to use those white erasers as they work best.  I think the pink ones tend to smudge.  Just remember to rub your eraser clean of your last project you may have erased so it doesn't get on this project.

~A

Laundry Day

This layout has been in the making for a while.  I think I started it when we were living in Oxbow last June LOL!  I finally finished it!  I just didn't know what I wanted to do with it and oddly enough it just seemed to come together this week.  I love it!

Project for the day...

Well since it's Preston's birthday I thought I'd share some layouts of my big boy today.  This first one is from his birthday last year.  We made cupcakes since his party was going to be on the weekend.

This one is one of the many quirks my boy has.  He loves to play in the cat door at Granny and Papa's

And just like his father, he loves to bake so I have to shart this simple layout that is turning into one of my new favs.

Just had to share...

I created this layout last weekend and I just wasn't happy with it after everything was all glued and pasted.  I would look at it and things just blended into the busy background.  It was so sad with all the little fun things I had made specifically for the layout so I decided to tear it apart and start half way.

You can see where I began from and then added the black background paper so you can see all the cogs and title much better than in the first.  I have to say it looks much better.  I really hated to take it apart, but sometimes you just have to to get a better outcome.

Baby's First Year Scrapbook Class

I had the opportunity to teach some wonderful ladies out in Oxbow how to make a Baby's First Year Scrapbook.  It was so much fun!  Here's a couple of pictures taken from Lachlan's baby's first year album.  Enjoy!
~A