I often wish I had more friends to scrapbook with - or more time/chances/opportunities to attend crops. But with two small children and a husband that works from 4 -12 Friday through Tuesday it's VERY hard! I am lucky to get to go to CKC and maybe one other crop a year. I do have a good friend who we trade nights I go to her house one weekend then it's her turn to come to my house. (BTW - Natlie it is SOOOO your turn) That way we take turns packing up all our stuff! I have another friend who HATES to pack up her stuff so she practically refuses to go to crops - she thinks she needs to take it all!
So for those of you out in the boonies, with no scrap friends, or you HATE to pack up your stuff - I have the solution!!!!!!!!!!!
ONLINE crops!!!!!!!!!! I know it sounds a little crazy but it is way fun!
Here are some sights with online crops:

Splitcoast Stampers - this will link you directly to the Virtual Scrapbook Night thread .
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=93
This is all about the scrappin! Time restrained challenges with a central theme - I have been a hostess! There are also mini ones. There are no games or real prizes for this one. There is also a Virtual Stamping Night.

Addicted Scrappers - this is a kit site - The link is the MB - not sure how often they have crops. Lots of games, projects and one big overall prize
http://www.addictedscrappers.com/messageboard/

Scrap Freak - This is an AWESOME message board with a store and lots of fun stuff. They just had a crop that was all about the members. We made up our own challenges and games! It was sooooooooooo much fun! (sorry Jodes) they have lots of monthly challenges and such too - and chats with diff manufacturers like Page Maps and Pink Paislee. Nice crop cause all challenges were posted early - also some games - so if you had to hold a baby all night you could still participate and chat.
http://www.addictedscrappers.com/messageboard/

Serendipity Scrapbooks - Great, fun site! They have an online crop about every 2 months!!!! Lots of games and challenges. Daily door prizes, Blue Light Specials - special 50% off on certain items in the store for certain amounts of time!!! Good stuff too! There is a theme but challenges that would work for LOTS of different layouts. This is a new site to me but I am lovin it!!!!!
http://www.serendipityscrapbooks.com/phpBB/index.php?c=10&sid=e45d683d964e9ad7cefe14ef0e5f700f

This link highlights the EVENTS but you can get to other parts of MB also!

I am now on the Totally Random Creative Team!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How flippin sweet is that? I am so excited that Jennipher asked me! Now I just gotta get outta my funk and do some creating! If you would like to check out Totally Random click HERE. It is just a fun blog that features different challenges each week that I thought would be good to help keep me motivated and help use up my stash! I am one step closer to being published or on a DT!

Hee hee hee that title is a mouthful! Can you tell I like alliteration and playing with word sounds?! It's a kindergarten thing I guess. Today is Father's Day - have you talked to YOUR dad? I called mine and sent a card but mom hadn't let him open it yet! We went out to breakfast at Crackerbarrel with Andrews parents. It was nice despite my allergy problems acting up again today! I made 4 cards and with the exception of my dad's which had to be mailed, I made them all last night! Nothing like the last minute Tessa! Oh well the turned out nicely.

So yesterday I was the Guest Hostess for Splitcoast Stampers Scrapbooking Variety Challenge - I was sooooooo excited! You can check it out HERE and play along. The challenge I issued was to use 3 different patterned papers from 3 different manufacturers AND at least 3 different embellies from 3 different manufacturers. TOUGH I know, I created a sample for the challenge! This layout is some pictures of my oldest son Kaden - doesn't he look like Blake here? Or I guess Blake looks like him or whatever. I took my colors from his shirt. I added the orange for a POP! It's so funny - I have never seen a child HATE direct sunlight so much - he freaks if the sun is in his eyes! Here I had gotten him a pair of sunglasses for his birthday and he was having some trouble keeping them on! I found a sketch to help use all 5 pictures. This will probably have another layout to correspond with it as I have some more from the same day of him playing in the shade. I tore the papers on the right and layered them and then set them behind those cool gelly frames from KI memories. I love the stickers that look like they were made using a label maker! My third embellie is sparkly circle rubons to show the sunglasses. TFL and go check out my challenge!

Tools:

CS - SU Choc Chip and Only Orange

PP - Dots - Bo Bunny Rasperrie Pie Line, Green - Basic Grey Oh Baby Boy line, White with Pattern - Carolee's Adornit

Gelly Frames - KI memories

Stickers - not sure but from mikes I think

Sparkly rubons - American Traditional Designs which might be American Crafts now - or maybe it's part of the company I don't know the logo looks similar.

This is a super cool technique that I first saw done by my friend Jac! We then did it at club and it is soooooo easy and so cool looking. The card I have for you we also did white embossing and so it's extra special. Check out this: Polished Stone for the "original" technique using metallic ink. This card is using this technique: Magic Snowflake which is similar to Polished Stone but uses glossy cardstock, and you emboss your image in white first and then do the polished stone over the image which after wiping "magically" appears! (note: SCS tutorial says to emboss again after dabbing with cotton ball - can just wipe off) This is just so fun and can be a really intense background or very subtle like shown here!

To do this stamp a solid image in white craft ink on glossy cardstock and emboss with white EP (or I guess clear would work too). Take a cotton ball and partially soak with rubbing alcohol then put a dot of each ink you want to use and dab onto cardstock - repeat and swirl and such to hearts content. Let dry a few seconds (dries super fast) then wipe off image with paper towel - ink doesn't dry on embossed image. Trim to desired size, use to create card! Viola!

Tools:

Cardstock - SU Glossy White, Blue Bayou

Stamps - Heartfelt Thanks

Ink- Craft White, Blue Bayou stamp pad and Reinker, Soft Sky Reinker, River Rock Reinker,
Ribbon - Double Stitched Soft Sky

Other - White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Ribbon Slide from Pewter HP hardware

Here it is my long awaited review of the ribbon ring - well ok maybe not long awaited. I learned about the ribbon ring from a friend on splitcoast stampers. She had won a sample off a blog - she's always winning things off blogs - so Jen Marie you are not eligible to win this ok - love ya! Anyhoo I went to the website http://www.ribbonring.com/ to check it out for myself. Looked kinda cool! Then I saw this little blurb about a bloggers sample - I thought heck I have a blog - I have ribbon - why not. So I filled out the form and she sent me my own little sample of the cards. They were so easy to use and so nice and well there just weren't enough of them!!!! I participate in alot of ribbon swaps on SCS to get all the colors of SU ribbon so I have ALOT of loose ribbon - I had a BEFORE picture but I can't find it! :( My ribbon was EVERYWHERE! It was pretty scary. So of course I ordered MORE! Very reasonable! Very quick shipping! So on to the review: