SOCIAL MEDIA

Excitement from Summer 2009 CHA

7.31.2009
The time surrounding the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show is always a busy and fun time. I love creating projects for the Creative Imagination's booth and love getting to share in the fun of all the sneak peeks and checking out all the new releases each and every season from all the different manufacturers. I found an awesome stream of photos online that were taken at the latest CHA show that was this past week(end), they can be viewed here. If you would like a more personal tour with some sassy opinions thrown in here and there, be sure to check out Julie's blog. I know that I can always count on her for some accurate (and fun) reporting of what's what and what's going down at the shows. I also can't help but love her little life opinions that she scatters about throughout her posts! If you like, also check out The Scrap Review for some fun photos and reporting on what was newly released at this season's show and to get insider information and opinions as well. Finally, Micaela (the owner of the local scrapbook store that I teach at) went to CHA this year and has been updating the Paper Studio blog as well with her account of what was what from the show. You can even help us decide which Christmas collection to purchase for the store if you like by casting a vote on our poll!

Marks Paper Company : Notecard Holder Project Tutorial

7.29.2009
Letter/Notecard Holder

This was a quick and easy project that I created for the Marks Paper Company blog. I used patterned papers from the English Garden Collection for this and took advantage of using the beautiful die-cut shapes that are on the Paper Patches sheet (also included in this collection).

Letter/Notecard Holder

To download the project instructions for this project check out the Marks Paper Company blog post here.

Another CHA Sneak for Creative Imaginations!

7.28.2009
My Girl

Thought I'd share this bright, new collection that was designed by Christine Adolph for Creative Imaginations called My Girl. This was a really fun collection to work with. This collection will ship to stores this October.

Weekend Fun...

7.26.2009
Lake George

We went to the cottage today at Lake George so that Ethan could mow the property and were surprised to find that Ethan's Uncle Jay and Aunt Pat were there with their grandson who we've figured out would be Zoey's third cousin (whom she's never met). Ethan mowed and Zoey and Conner got to know one another by getting out the fishing poles.

Lake George

Zoey got a snag right away and Conner stepped right in and took care of her...

Lake George

It was so cute to see these two together...and to see them having fun together at the cottage nonetheless. This piece of property has been in Ethan's family now for quite some time and he remembers playing with his cousin's every summer here when his grandmother and grandfather were still living.

Lake George

Shortly after this photo was taken the kids decided to do a bit of fishing off the dock...that's when the fun started! One of Conner's shoes ended up in the water and was floating away (they were crocs so they didn't sink), I tried to reach them but the waves carried them out pretty far, and fast. Aunt Pat ran and got a tennis racket (not sure what she was thinking there) and Conner ran to get his Grandpa Jay (Ethan's Uncle) who quickly came to the rescue by rowing the boat out and retrieving the shoe in all but 5 minutes time.

After that adventure the kiddos stuck to land and had some fun swinging. =)

Lake George

Such a fun and unexpected visit with family!

Lake George

Having Fun with Two Page Layouts

Jumping in the Leaves

Just thought I'd share another two page layout that I created awhile back. I had made it for a specific call for a magazine but it didn't end up getting picked up which means I can now share it online! I've really been getting back into two-pagers again and it seems to work with my style and the fact that I take a ton of photos of every event/moment certainly helps to aide in my creating two pagers!

This layout ended up being pretty graphic and clean looking so I went with computer journaling. I printed my journaling on my cardstock and then cropped it down to the size that I wanted it for my layout.

DSC03052

Fall is by far my favorite season and just looking back at these photos is making me get all excited for the season to change again!

Supplies: Bazzill cardstock, Bo Bunny; patterned paper, Doodlebug Designs; buttons, American Crafts; letter stickers, Pebbles Inc.; scalloped sticker, misc: embroidery floss

always, sometimes, never

7.24.2009
Porcupine Mountains - Michigan
Lake Superior, 2009

I always:

+ will strive to give my love freely.
+ will love the rain.
+ will have faith.
+ will be up for a good debate.
+ will feel most like myself near the water.
+ will remember where it is that I came from.
+ will pray.

I sometimes:

+ worry that I'm not on the right path.
+ get carried away with my dreams...
+ let the dishes pile up.
+ spend too much time on the computer.
+ do not say what it is that I mean EXACTLY.
+ secretly wish I was living out of a VW bus.
+ cannot believe that I have been blessed to have Zoey as my daughter in this life.
+ miss who I used to be.

I never:

+ wear socks to bed.
+ want to have regrets.
+ pass up a good piece of cheescake.
+ want to sell myself short.
+ (or very rarely) return my library books on time.
+ will take for granted those that love me.
+ will turn my back on truth.

Consider yourself tagged and join in on this meme if you so desire! Just post a favorite photo and copy and paste the text above inserting your lists...

CHA Sneak for Creative Imaginations!

Happy Birthday!


Just wanted to share a new collection that Creative Imaginations is going to have at the CHA summer show this year, it's called Kindness by Emma and the layout above uses the Hip Hooray Collection of patterned papers and embellishments. If you get the newsletter from Scrapbook.com then you may have seen my layout featured in the "CHA new releases" email blast. The pictures are of a good friend's little guy (who is also Zoey's train playing buddy!).

I included a picture of the One Big Adventure collection that is going to be released with this at CHA as well...these collections are so fun, love them both!

Summer Fun Circle Pop-Up Book

7.23.2009
Circle Pop-Up Book

The other day at work I was busy creating an on-line classroom for this project originally designed by Micaela Inman for Paper Studio. In order to create the on-line classroom I had to take pictures of each step of creating the project which meant I got to re-create this fun little book!

Circle Pop-Up Book

The papers that I used are by Creative Imaginations and are from Helen Dardik's Summer Fun Collection.

Circle Pop-Up Book

This is a super fun project and it's neat how it folds out into a circle and then back flat again. I was thinking that it would be fun to create one using the colors of a beach ball for some fun beach photos.

Circle Pop-Up Book

This class is being offered in the studio at Paper Studio as well as on-line. To learn more about the dates and times or to purchase a kit be sure to check out the Paper Studio blog here.

Circle Pop-Up Book

It would be the perfect project for those summer outdoor BBQ photos!

Circle Pop-Up Book

Listening To...

7.22.2009

Thanks Ali.

A Day Trip to the Porcupine Mountains

7.20.2009
Yesterday morning we got up early and headed up North to the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan to hike the Porcupine Mountains. I have been telling Ethan that I've been itching to get some good outdoor shots with my camera and yesterday turned out to be the perfect day for hiking, playing around with my camera and spending some quality family time together.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Here we were at the entry to the park...there were several different points that you could park your vehicle and then navigate from. First we chose to do some hiking on the trails and we then worked our way up to the look-out point which was Summit Peak.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

The shots that I got of when we were on top of Summit Peak do not do justice to how beautiful it really was. It was just amazing.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

After that we ventured towards the falls...which there were several of.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

I tried to catch the rainbow here that the sun was showing off in the spray of the water fall.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

It was so amazing to me at how different the rocks would look just walking a couple steps further along on our hike.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Zoey was amazed when we told her about how it was the water that made the rock shaped the way that it was.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

This shot above is one of my favorites. I've always loved water...the open-ness (is that a word?)of it. The power behind it, the outright un-forgiveness of it. The way that it just keeps moving onward.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

At the end of our trek viewing the falls we discovered this little private beach area.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Which is where we hung out the rest of the afternoon.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Zoey of course enjoyed throwing stones in the water and discovering so many unique ones at that.

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

Porcupine Mountains - Michigan

What a way to spend the day. Everyone slept well last night, that's for sure. And this morning I am recalling some muscles in my legs and bum that I had well forgotten existed!