Celebrate

I know this was the July stamp of the month, but I still cannot get enough of these adorable hedgehogs. I used Magic moments scraps and Happy Birthday stamps as well. Another busy week. I'm hoping I'll manage some time to create. One of my goals for this school year is to find time every week for card making and scrapbooking.

Stitched Up--H2H Challenge

The challenge this week for Heart 2 Heart Challenges was to use stitching on your project. I do not own a sewing machine, nor would I know how to use one if I did, so all my stitching has to be done by hand. I chose to use stitching as corner accents on my cards.

I have had the Grown With Love stamp set from CTMH since last fall, and I have yet to ink it up. Today I decided to finally give it a go.

The first card uses Cherry-O papers, Grown With Love, and Thank You Card Chatter.

The second card uses some scraps of an old CTMH promotion, Cocoa Cafe. I also used Grown With Love and July SOTM stamps.

This weekend, we FINALLY put sod in our backyard. We had to wait most of the summer for a concrete company that was willing to put in the sidewalk for us. Friday, we had the sod delivered, and our fabulous neighbors came over to help us get it hauled to the back and rolled out--all 2,000 sq. feet! It was like a good old fashioned barn raising :) I don't know who is happier the kiddos or the dogs.

This week also marked the beginning of the school year. I can't believe my oldest is in third grade and my BABY is in kindergarten. Life moves too fast!! Though I will be happy to have a routine again, I am very sad summer is over. I love being at home with the boys and traveling. From here on out, we'll be crazy busy, and I'm sure it will be Christmas before we know it.

Creative University

Looking for some stamping inspiration today? Check this out:

Click here to get to the fun! Starts at 9:00 pacific time. It's also a great chance to see some fabulous new CTMH products.

I don't know how many of the classes I'll be able to make it to. We are finishing laying our sod in the backyard today. We don't have much left thanks to our wonderful neighbors. Last night they showed up with a tractor, a wheel barrow and lots of manpower. We got all but a few feet moved to the back and rolled out--almost 2,000 sq. feet. We feel so blessed to have such good neighbors. One is already here this morning, too. Wow!

It was a crazy busy first week of school. I can't believe how exhausted I am. I'll be back later this weekend to share some first day pictures of my kindergartner and third grader, and hopefully some artwork. First, it's off to the backyard! Enjoy your weekend :)

SEI Birdie Brunch

I love these papers so much that I couldn't bear to cover them up. I decided to just add a sentiment and leave it alone. Hard to tell, but the paper is glitter paper.

Swimming Lucy

I love this stamp from Sparkle Creations. It just screams summer! We've been trying to relax and live in the moment all summer. Now it's back to school, and I'm already longing for those days. Although, I am excited to start a new school year and have both my boys at school with me.

For this card, I had really cute SEI papers that I was matching when I colored the image. The problem? Once it dried, the blues didn't match any of the blues in the paper. I grabbed a few scraps from the CTMH Magic Moments kit and reworked my idea. I added Liquid glass to the water and the glass. Hard to tell in the photo.

Chloe

Another Sparkle Creations stamp--Chloe. I love her fun scooter. I used Sei Mimosa papers. The flower is made from sparkly crepe paper that came in the kit. I used watercolor pencils and a watercolor brush for coloring. Her scooter was actually more orange before it dried. Luckily, there's a lot of pink in the papers.

H2H Challenge School Theme

This week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge was to use a school theme. I saw this idea on Big Picture Scrapbooking's Big Idea Festival. The class was taught by Elizabeth Dillow. It's based on the German custom of giving first graders a schultute, which is a paper cone filled with school supplies and goodies. It is traditionally given on the first day of first grade. Neither of mine are going into first, but I thought it was a fun idea. Always nice to honor our German roots, too :)

Since they've already packed up the school supplies, these are filled with things to keep them entertained in my classroom after school. I'll hang them on their closet doors tomorrow morning.

Well, I'm off to bed. First day of school for me as well!

Oliver

I finally bought several Sparkle Creations stamps. I LOVE them, but it is an adjustment to go from clear to rubber. I also realized I have nowhere near enough markers to color these beauties. Maybe this will push me over the edge to get Copics (yes I'm behind the times), or at least get the rest of the CTMH markers so I have more choice.


I used Oliver for this card. The papers are CTMH Moon Doggie. The surfer x-ing sticker is from the Moon Doggie Stickease.





I haven't posted much because I started back to work this week. School starts on Monday, so I've been busy, busy. I've also had a health issue, which put me in the emergency room (I won't bore you with details) and a minor car accident. I backed right into another car in the school parking lot. One of the parents from Austin's class. It was completely mortifying. I'm hoping it only gets better from here. We have a BBQ at school tomorrow, and I still need to go finish the bulletin boards in my classroom.

The good news is that I did create enough cards today to post for the rest of the week :)

H2H Challenge--Sketch

I think I might be too late to actually get this card in for the sketch challenge. I finished the card this afternoon, but didn't have time to post it. My guys decided to head to the lake for some swimming, then to dinner. We just got home.

I love this card. It's a nice farewell to summer. I officially head back to work on Wednesday (although I'll be over in my room the next couple days), and school starts next Monday. I'm having mixed feelings. It's hard to give up the relaxing summer spent with the family, but it will be nice to have a routine again. Plus I'm looking forward to small 7th grade classes this year. A nice change from the class of 32 I had last year. Although, I will still have last year's class for Literature, so that will be fun, too.

My card for the sketch challenge used Moon Doggie papers with Surf's Up, Beach Party (bucket) and Relax stamp sets. I paper pieced the umbrella to match and tore the Desert Sand paper for the beach sand look.

Here's the sketch:

Here's the original card I made for the sketch a few days ago. It just didn't turn out how I pictured it in my head, no matter how I tweaked it and turned it. I hate it when that happens. I think maybe it was overkill on the scalloped circles or the colors, or the stamped stitching on the ruffle. I don't know. I used Unforgettable papers with Treasures, Simple Stitches, and Piece of Cake. I used glitter on the flowers and made the paper ruffle with patterned paper.

Legoland Project

After seeing Becky Higgins' Finland door posters, I knew I wanted to create something similar with our

pictures from Legoland. I wanted to make posters out of the Lego photos we took and use them as artwork for the playroom walls. While mine aren't as artistic as Becky's, I think they are perfect for the boys' playroom, which is now more of a Lego room anyway.

I made the posters through Costco. My only complaint was that I couldn't drag and drop the photos where I wanted. I had to keep hitting the shuffle photos until I got the layout I wanted. It took over an hour. Collage posters: $5.99 each. Frames at Michaels: $6 each. Can't complain.

Cards From a Level 1 Scrapbook Kit

When I was buying goodies from the big sale, I really wanted Bella papers because I had never purchased a pack. Sadly, they were out of paper packs, so I bought a Level 1 kit, figuring I could make it into cards.



It proved trickier than I thought since the kit used all the Olive and Smokey Plum papers, while the Stickease were mostly Hollyhock. Other than a couple of embellishments and thank you stamps, I only used the kit and Stickease. I still have lots more card bases and scraps left, but here's what I accomplished today. Not bad for a $4 kit (or even a full price kit at $9.95).

Sorry the pics are a little on the light side.


This one was my favorite. I ruffled the B&T paper and used ribbon and a rub on.

If you are keeping track, that was 8 standard size cards, and a 6x6. I have bases for 5-7 more cards and about half the Stickease, so you do get a lot of bang for your buck.

Disney Pages

I finished two more layouts from our March Disney trip. I have one more layout to do, and I'm finished. Good thing because I just printed 164 more pictures from our summer fun. I still have lots more to print, but it's a start.

For these layouts, I used CTMH Zippidee papers and Stickease. Also my Mickey Font Cricut cartridge and a few other Disney embellishments I had laying around.

H2H Tag Challenge--MacGyver Style

My card for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge this week was quite the challenge. I had brought a few scrapbook supplies with me on the trip, and I knew I'd never get one made and posted after getting home tomorrow night. While the guys were all in the pool this evening, I decided to try my hand at a tag card. No easy task at a little table in a hotel room, but I was having scrapping withdrawals.

I used Splendor papers and the Hot Diggity stamp set. I love this little owl. I didn't have any ribbon with me, so I had to fake it with some background paper :)

Last night I got to meet one of my stamping idols, Sparkle Smith. I've been blogging/facebook friends with Sparkle for gosh, I don't know, four years or so. When she heard we were going to be in Seattle, she suggested we meet up. While I would have loved a stamping play date, that wouldn't have been fair to my family, so we went to dinner instead. I must say, she is a sweetheart in person :)

If you haven't seen her blog or her new line of stamps, be sure to check them out!!

Space Needle and Pacific Science Center

Yesterday had it's ups and downs for sure. To start the day, I was lost, trying to find my way to the freeway, when I was pulled over and given a $124 speeding ticket--ugh! I was going downhill, and while I was riding my brakes the whole way, I still managed to get up to 10 over the speed limit. Officer was waiting at the bottom. Pulled me and the car behind me over. Then pulled another over as I was getting on the road. We finally made it to the Pacific Science Center. We had fun, but it was very crowded.

Watch out for dinosaurs!



And butterflies. Austin wasn't going to leave the butterfly garden until one landed on him. This one did, and then wouldn't leave :)


Trying out the contortionist box.



Cone was supposed to be for checkers.


Outside


Seattle Center:

When we got back, we got some disappointing news. One of the highlights of the trip was going to be to go to the Mariners game Friday night to see Mike Sweeney play. I've known him since I was five, and always love getting a chance to see him in action. Unfortunately, yesterday he was traded to the Phillies. Good news for him since he'll have a chance at a ring, but bad news for us because we won't get to see him. Why couldn't they have waited until this weekend?!

Today was day 2 at the Seattle Center. The boys wanted to come back and try the circus acts that were to crowded yesterday at the Science Center.

Tightrope walkers:
Austin:



Brendan:



Then we went up in the Space Needle. Austin has been begging to go all week. We had a lot of fun, but it was a little hazy. We were also hoping the Blue Angels would fly over while we were up there, but they didn't start practicing until an hour later :(



The view:

After the Space Needle, we fulfilled one of Brendan's requests and rode the monorail downtown. We had lunch and walked around a little. We were going to go to the aquarium, but the boys were too tired. We got to sit in front of the monorail on the way back. At first Brendan was upset, but he ended up loving it!

Thanks for sticking with me--I know this post is long. I love having a written record of our trips. It makes it easier to scrapbook the details later. So far I've taken over 250 pictures this trip--yikes!