Photo Cubes

I have had these photo cubes from Making Memories for quite some time. FINALLY decided I needed to do something with them. And the perfect events came up. First, my cousin is getting married. She just got engaged. So I made her this little photo cube with pictures of her and her fiance.
Since I wanted to be able to use more than just 4 photos, I used folded paper to create two additional places for photos on each side. I am really happy with how it came out. I just love the paper (which I have also had for some time now)....Cosmo Cricket Everafter Collection.

This next cube I made for my husband. It is his birthday on the 1st. He already has it at work with him. It was rather difficult finding four pictures of my boys to use for this. They are all so uncooperative! The paper is from 3 Bugs in a Rug...Snips and Snails. To finish it off I adhered metal tabs to each photo. The words on them worked out perfectly with the photos.

Thanks for looking...

Simple Stories

When I first heard about this...I thought, nope, not me. I don't digital scrapbook and I don't like just slapping photos in a album. I like...need to scrap them. But then I took a closer look...hmm...

So I have decided to do the following. Each of my children will have a baby book. Joey's thankfully is done. Jake and Josh's books are a work in progress. Then I have a book where I have scrapped those photos that came out so well that they literally spoke to me and said, "scrap me!!!".

Continuing at this rate...I will never get all the pictures from other events and such scrapped.

Then came Simple Stories by MemoryWorks. I love this idea. The idea of getting a WHOLE year documented. The first kit in the Simple Stories series is aptly called Life Documented. To quote, this series "allows you to create, capture, document and share a years worth of memories like never before. Life Documented encompasses classic basics with bold, beautifully designed elements featuring a refreshing, inspiring color palette of deep reds, browns, taupes, with vibrant greens, oranges and blues, mingled with milky creams and white. With shabby-chic, aged-office, vintage-distress appeal, this functional - yet oh-so-stylish - kit is the perfect solution for sharing your life's most important moments in a simple, yet meaningful way. It's not just a kit. It's YOUR story....simplified.

Really??? Because I could use some simplification.

I just placed the order today. I am itching, itching to get it. I can not wait to get started. The kit comes with everything. You just add photos. But there is also space and opportunity to scrap...it is just not as involved as a single layout.

I took a look at the album that guest designer Brenda Hurd did over at http://simplestories.typepad.com/simple-stories/. I am inspired to do this...and excited to have an entire album to show someone at the end of the year. An album filled with my family's highlighted moments. And I love that I can put 10-12 photos per month in this album depending on the configuraton of the page protector I use. All of which get housed in a Leather 12X12 3 ring album by WeR Memory Keepers. The albums that I am already using!! These have become my absolute favorite albums.

With this system I will be able to finally accomplish that which I thought was impossible...a completed album for the entire year and an album for those really special photos that deserve to be showcased.

I will be sure to share the pages I do for January...

btw...Don't forget...there is still time to leave a comment on my blog candy post for a chance to win!!!

Beth Crocker's amazing work

Beth Crocker is having her first contest on her blog The Way I See It. She is an amazing artist. Please go check out her site. To enter her contest all you have to do is this:

Rules: Become a follower of her my blog (if you are not already) & post there that you are.(One comment per person about becoming a follower.)

For multiple entries: Promote her blog on other sources & return there to comment that you posted elsewhere & tell where. Post comments on her other blog posts about those blogs. Each time you do any of these you get another entry, but you must come back to the original post to tell her what & where you did these things.

You can win:
A print of your choice & size on your choice paper. Details to be worked out with the winner.

You will want to enter this!! Especially after you see her work on her blog and here:
http://www.elizabethcrocker.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethcrocker/

Good Luck...but I hope I win!!!

Simply Scrapping Challenge

I did my first challenge over at Simply Scrapping. It is a montly challenge and week 1 is Get Sketchy. This is the sketch we had to use:

And here is my take on it. I am pretty happy with the outcome. I just found the challenge the other day...so I had to work quickly. The deadline is tonight. And since I was sure the boys would not let me work on it today, I did it last night while Daddy put Jake to bed. All in all I like the way it turned out.

It feels good to be scrapping again, and it is nice to have another page done for Josh's album.

Boy did I have a BIG belly!!

Don't forget...there is still time to leave a comment on my blog candy post for a chance to win!!!

On A Roll...Mini Album for my Niece

On a roll....I have completed another mini album. This one is for my niece's birthday in August. The trick will be not to lose it! I used a mini binder album by Maya Road. The papers are Cosmo Cricket Snorkel. Ribbon tabs make it easier to turn the pages and a ribbon closure helps with the chunkiness of the album.
Hannah loves to swim and is on a swim team. So I thought she could put some pictures from her meets and practice in here. I really like how this one came out. May have to make more like this.

Don't forget...there is still time to leave a comment on my blog candy post for a chance to win!!!

I missed my BLOGOVERSARY!!!

With the Holidays, my son's birthday, getting into a routine with the new baby and just an over all lack of motivation...I missed my First Blogoversary. It was on December 17th. So I am celebrating it now...better late than never, right?
So...to celebrate I am giving away some Blog Candy.


How can you win it?
1. follow my blog
2. leave me a comment
3. link this post on your blog


What can you win?
A whole mess of stuff:
8 sheets of 8.5 x 11 Club Scrap papers
1 sheet of Nature stickers
g.c.d studios Turquoise Glitter Letter Stickers
1 small round magnet backed containers
1 silver metal book plate with brads
1 Creative Cafe pigment ink pad: Spirit Red
5 small and 5 medium naked chipboard rectangles
1 package of royal jewels- blue by imaginisce
1 Daisy Bucket Clearly Petite Stamp Elements- Bauble
1 Karen Foster Word Rub On - Thankful
2 small, 2 medium and 2 large round scalloped edged coasters
1 Vacation Spot Journal Tag
1 Orange Journal Tag
1 studio18 mini note pad & pen
2 memory markers by American Crafts: geranium and pool
1 package of medium jewel brads by American Crafts- Taffy
1 MR Naked Tag Key chain


WOW!!!!

***Leave ONE comment per day. Every comment earns you an entry. Link me and follow me for additional entries (already following? you'll get the extra entry automatically).

Winner will be chosen at random on January 31st! Good Luck!!! And thanks for visiting!

Boop Boop Calendar

Boop Boop...it's how my boys refer to things that are small. I made this mini calendar from my scrap desk. I have had a sheet of Teresa Collins Designs -Journal It - Calendar Time 12 x 12 paper for some time...what to do...what to do...

So, I made this little desktop calendar. I also used papers from two different Dream Street Papers Collections....Superstition and Sam

I really wanted to stamp the days on the calendar. But my number stamps are too big for those days that have to share a square. Oh well...still really like how it turned out.

Friend Mini Album - Gift

Finally finished this. Can't remember when I started it...but I am glad it is finished 3 months before I need it. Sending it to my niece for her birthday. Hope she likes it. I added pockets to the inside of the front and back covers for extra photo storage...or memorabilia. Used a kit I got from Club Scrap. The colors were PERFECT for this album which only had the green fabric on the binding.