Studio J

After getting re-hooked on Studio J back in February with the BOGO free with the 5-packs, and after my dad passed away, I decided it was time to create some more digital pages.  I went back several years and found some of my favorite digital pictures of my dad, and created a layout to hang up in my scrap room. 

And since I'm a Studio J member, I get free shipping if I order at least 4 layouts at a time.  So why not create a few Easter pages too!  I didn't have a gazillion Easter pics this year since the boys are getting quicker about the hunting of eggs, and we didn't get to do any of the big public egg hunts since Lucas had a soccer game the Saturday morning that all of the hunts are done.  So it worked out well that I was able to fit all my pics onto 3 layouts!

I used one of the paper packs exclusive to Studio J, it's called Hippity Hop.  Easter is the one time of the year that I can get away with lots of pink on my BOY pages! ;) 

That's 4 more layouts added to my collection in a matter of about 2 hours time on the computer.  I'm at 45 layouts for the year so far, well on my way to my goal of 104!  I think I can, I think I can!

Footloose 10 page workshop

Remembered that I never got around to posting pictures of the Footloose 10 page workshop I created using Tresa Black's workshop guide.  I wanted a beach-ier version than hers, so I used the Seaside wooden shapes, wooden badge buttons, wooden buttons, the Footloose WOTG stamp set, and Just Chillin stamp set.  I had a terrific response for the workshop this month, and I am thrilled that my ladies enjoyed them as much as I did!

Next up is a Smash Book, mostly CTMH style!  I'm excited that I found a way to scrapbook the 'everyday' photos in a quicker, easier, more cost effective style!  It will be a To Go Kit workshop for July.  Happy scrapping!

My kindergarten graduate!

Have been so busy that I forgot to post a pic of my big kindergarten graduate!  He received an award for Scholar of the Year in his kindergarten class, as well as perfect attendance!  And he completed 25 miles on the track this school year.  He's set his sights high for 100 miles next year as a big ol' first grader!  Oh, and I also had to include his chesire cat smile for his 1st place finish in his school's chess tournament in the K-1 level.  Love my little smarty pants! : )

Preschool graduation

It's official, no more kids to do the preschool thing with anymore...sniff, sniff!  My baby boy will be 5 in July, and I have absolutely no idea how the time has flown by so quickly!!!! 

They put on quite the show for the parents and grandparents at the graduation ceremony today.  And I almost cried while watching the video of the past year.  He's come a long way since starting his first and only year of preschool in September.  And he cannot wait to become a big ol' kindergartner this fall.

My handsome Zach attack...

And tomorrow brings kindergarten graduation for my big man....someone needs to find a way to slow time down!  I don't care about the fountain of youth...just more time to enjoy my lil men before they're too big to chill with mom!

Victory 10 page workshop!!

I know you're not supposed to blow your own horn, but I am in LOVE with these pages, and cannot wait to load them up with pictures!  I used the 10 page workshop guide that I purchased from Tresa Black, www.fabulouslyartsy.com and decided to put a boy twist on it.  Since I'd already used Superhero for the explosion boxes, I picked Victory, even though I wasn't crazy about the camo in it (my camo hating hubby has rubbed off on me there!).

I picked the Tough tags, durables square studs, antiqued copper brads, and bulk wooden buttons to make the pages extra handsome.  I also added some (gasp) contraband twine.  And then I searched thru the boy stamp stash, and found Boys at Play, Just for Boys, and Flyin' High.  I meant to look earlier today, but I'm pretty sure all three are retired, which isn't the best move on my part as far as encouraging sales/orders go, but we all know that's not my forte anyway!!

Hope you like them, since they're up to bat for June's workshops!

It's funny how a new paper pack makes the design so different each time!  I'm sure it's because I have lots of boy pics to scrapbook, but I LOVE this version, whereas I LIKE the Stella version! : )  Next up, the version she intended to be used with the workshop guide...FOOTLOOSE!

Heavy heart

It is with a truly heavy heart that I tell you all of my father's passing this past Friday.  Just one short week before Mother's Day, and I find myself parentless at only 38 years young.  Mother's day has been bitersweet for the past 12 years, since my mother passed away, but now both Mother's day AND Father's day will be this way.  Those who know me well know that I love any excuse to have a party and celebrate, but it's so hard to celebrate with my boys, and no longer able to celebrate with either parent more than just in spirit.  I made some Mother's day cards for the consignment shop, but have avoided making any more.  And I'm supposed to be making some for Father's day, but don't know if I can find the courage to do it just yet.  Time does heal, but I'm not sure it will be soon enough for this Father's day.  We'll see...

I did manage to feel a crafty urge last night, and after inspiration from fellow consultants on a Facebook Eye Candy group, I made a post it note holder for the boys' teachers.  I used up a bit of my Magic Moments stash, my April SOTM (You Are), and of course, my CTMH AP Cricut cartridge.  And this is what I came up with, for Teacher Appreciation week.  It's not much, but hopefully just enough to say Thank you.  (Speaking of which, I'll need to be coming up with a bunch of thank you cards because of the enormous generosity of my friends and family during this difficult time).

10 Things About Me

I read on someone's blog, or on Facebook somewhere, that we tend to focus our scrapbooking efforts on our children, our family, and events in our life, rather than telling a story about ourselves.  I decided that I needed to be able to scrapbook something about me that would be fun, many years from now to look back at, and that my kids could look back and likely laugh at as well.  So I came up with the idea of an album called '10 Things About Me'.  And not only did I have a stamp set to facilitate this glorious idea, Tresa Black at www.fabulouslyartsy.com designed a GORGEOUS 10 page workshop.  She set up a mini kit for fellow consultants to purchase, and of course, I did!  And I am sooooo glad I did.  In a few short hours 10 pages can be cranked out, embellishments and all, thanks to her amazing design skills, and her hard work to produce a guide to go along with that.  She did her guide with the Footloose paper, which is right up there among my favorites in this idea book.  I used Stella for my workshop.  It's great because it's 10 pages from just one paper pack (plus extra cardstock for mats and page bases), and with  a few coordinating embellishments you've got either one album completed, or you can break up the pages and still have several photos knocked out.  With the Stella pack, you could do the same theme as me, or 10 things I love about you (girl centered), or My 10 favorite things about 'x' (ie spring, a certain year in school, a certain place, or a vacation), or I have a friend wanting to use it for a baby album for her friend.  The Stella paper is very versatile that way.

While I was originally going to offer this workshop in May, it will be postponed a month, due to my father being in Intensive Care, and not knowing how long this will last.  Had I been able to finish with the beach version (Footloose) and the boy version (Victory), I may have tried to pull off a workshop this month, but alas, I am the queen of procrastination, so it's in a holding pattern like everything else in my life right now.  Sorry ladies, it will be worth the wait though, I promise!

I have already posted the teaser front page of the album on Facebook, but for the few of you that are not on Facebook, I will share it and a few more now!  Enjoy, and as I get them finished up, I'll post pics from the other versions as well!

The front page, and the back page...or it could be side by side in the album.

I added the Paradise Assortment of baker's twine, antiqued copper brads, the mocha assortment of pearls and many Paradise Paper flowers.

I hope you like them!  It was fun to put together some girly pages...love using flowers and pearls every now and again! : )