So we are having a bit of a freak snow storm here!
I don't even know how much there is out there!
I am supposed to go get my hair cut at 11 so I hope it lets up soon!
I am SO over the snow by the way!
I am ready for SUMMER!
So I have a fun summery layout for you today!

It's of Kaden and his new Big Wheels he got for his birthday last year!
I used Cosmo Cricket's new line Little Man!
I just love it! Pretty simple layout.
Stamped the tire tracks in choc chip thought it added just the right touch
then added some buttons with twine and there you have it!

This is one of my BEST scrappin/stampin tools!!!
It's is my handmade CS sampler ring!
I LOVE IT!
First I bought a sampler pack of all the SU color families.
Then I cut a 2.5x2.5 from each color and labled it, with a code in the corner for color family.
I also did this with the IN colors through the years and my PTI CS!
This way I can match ribbon if it's not on the spool, or find matching PP
or ribbon in the store!
It is one of the BEST things I have EVER done!

It's Virtual Stamping Weekend!!!!

My Challenge is up right now!
It's called OBSESSION!
I am challenging everyone to create a card based on your Obsession!

Check out the thread HERE!

I created a new card for this challenge and shared an old Twilight card. This is the one I created just for this challenge as my sample!
Why it's Bella and her shoes!

I love Shoes!!!
I paper pieced her using Basic Grey Offbeat papers and then colored the rest with my SU markers. Come play with us the rest of this weekend for VSN! there are lots of challenges and even some GREAT prizes!

Not having school on Monday really messes me up on my days for the week! I almost forgot to post this!

As I posted this weekend - I FINALLY learned to turn a pic black and white and then add color back! It was one of my BIGGEST reasons for getting PSE! So what you do is
1. open photo in PSE
2. On the top toolbar click layer
3. From pull down menu choose New Adjustment layer
4. Choose Gradient Map
5. It might ask for name just click ok or name it if you want
6. A color bar will come up mine is purple and orange YIKES!
It's ok! Click on it and choose the black and white one!
7. You can then add more white to brighten or black to darken
- play with it to really make your picture POP!
8. Click ok till you are back to your NOW black and white picture.
9. In that layer choose the eraser tool and choose the size (in pixels at the top) to go in and erase the gradient layer - you can zoom in for more detail.
10. Go to file save as - choose name make sure you change it to jpeg and that's it! I save a high resolution if I am going to print.
In the above picture of Blake I added the color to his eyes and the GAP to make the blue stand out. Below is a layout I did with a similar pic!
Only I cheated and used a black and white picture, then just colored his eyes with a sharpie!
Which is an option for those of you without PSE!

I have been working on lots of layouts I just haven't posted them!
So this week I am going to give you lots of layout eye candy!!!
Starting today!
With Valentine's Day just this weekend, I thought I could get away with posting one more lovey project. This is a layout of me and my hubby for my AAM book.
Pretty simple layout.
I used a Unity journaling spot stamp and sewed on the lace and ribbon.
The flowers are layered with a CS heart that I punched using a MS punch.

I am finally learning PSE!!! I only got it LAST July! Will share more about it on Tuesday for my tip! But check out this photo!

I turned it Sepia then added the color BACK to his eyes and the leaves around him! Loved this photo and some others but they had on junky clothes that SO didn't match and would have been hard to scrap, so I always turn them black and white or sepia! But I didn't know how to do that yet on PSE so I finally figured it out today with some help!

My hubby's a cop in case you didn't know ~ so for Valentine's Day
I got this quirky littlesentiment in my head
and wanted to make a card using it!
I ordered these police images from High Hopes AGES ago! I don't know if they even still sell them! Oh I checked they do!
HERE is a link to this image he's called Patrolman Pete.
I colored him with my SU markers and Copic Skin White.
Isn't he adorable? I used last week's Taylored Expressions Cupcake Sketch for this card! I curled the strip the sentiment is on to give it some dimension. He will just love this! TFL! Will be back later with the card he made me!

This is the prototype for Kaden's valentines. His were a little simpler. Same design only no ribbon, and he colored the fishie images! He loves to color!
We then stapled them to a individual pack of goldfish crackers! How cute is that?!?!
I made altered tea tins for his Pre-School Teacher and Day Care Provider but um
FORGOT to take a picture! BAD BLOGGER! I know right! And they were SO cute!
Oh well, next year!

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day! I will be back later to share some V-Day projects with you!

Ok so maybe these things aren't fabulous - but they are things appropriate for today! Friday the 13th! Bwahhhhhhh!

4 things that FREAK me out!

1. Sirens - HATE them! (cops wife and I can tell when it's Police, Ambulance or Fire!)
2. The little bits of food that get stuck in the drain! EW!
3. Heights - not so much a fear of them more a fear of FALLING (I can rock climb but you will NEVER get me to bungee or skydive)
4. My boys getting hurt! After Kaden's accident I am sooo paranoid. I won't leave the boys with a sitter (other than our wonderful daycare provider or family), I am obsessive about them on the playground, it's bad! I am working on loosening up though. That was just the single most horrible thing I have ever gone through that I REALLY don't want to EVER again! I was a total wreck for days, weeks it still effects me!

You know I LOVE Ashley's Etsy Inspired Challenges every Saturday right?!?!
Well there is going to be a Blog Hop with the Etsy Inspired Crew!!!!
There will be challenges, chatting and candy!!!
For all the deets check it out HERE!

Organization has always been one of my big problems! I am getting better with it but still struggle.

Today I want to share my paper storage.
99% of my paper is stored on this shelf!

It is in those 12x12 holders on the top. I have it separated like this: Basic CS (GP white, SU neutrals, metalics, shimmer white, glossy white), Papertrey Ink CS, SU CS with dividers for Families, SU DP, American Crafts CS and Bazzill, and the other 3 are PP with dividers by Manufacturer (Basic Grey, MME, Cosmo Crickett, Making Memories, OTHER) and by Theme (boys, family, holiday, wedding, tropical). This pic was before my last sort so it's a little messy! But you get the idea! Oh and the holders are by Karen Foster! You can buy them online from JoAnn's - I think. That's where I got mine.
This shows a smaller box that is the same kind, same company. I have 4 of these and they hold my Wish RAK images, PIF and other image swap images, my envelopes and my scraps - I cut scraps into either 6x6 or A2 size and this box holds the A2 size.

I don't have a pic of my 6x6 scraps but I have alot cause I also did a couple paper swaps where we cut it to 6x6. It is on my desk, there just happens to be a compartment that it fits into perfectly!!!!
So maybe that will help someone with some organization!

That is what we are dealing with in our house right now! So sorry but I am simply too tired to post anything much right now! Perhaps tomorrow!!!! Oh and who knew pink eye was SO expensive! We are at $150 WITH INSURANCE!

since I was able to do both Hip Hop Challenges yesterday you are gettin a double dose of Unity in my HHH post!!!The first challenge I did was to use Gel Pens on your card.
Well I own 2 gel pens a Sakura Gelly Roll Pen and a White Gel pen!
So the Sakura it is - I immediately thought of cupcakes cause I always use it on the cupcake liners!!!! I used Unity's Cupcakes a'la Yummy and the Limelight Challenge sketch for the week. The papers are from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie. I stickled the tops as part of the Limelight challenge to use pink bling! They are Worn Lipstick Distress stickles!


The second and far more difficult challenge for me anyway was to TILT your main image! YIPES! I like things nice and straigh - so tilting sends me into a tizzy! Somehow I
managed to survive! I was also able to create this for Dutch Dare's Card Challenge which
is being sponsored by Limelight! It was to create a Valentine
using NO pink or red. Yes there is a tiny bit of pink but hopefully
it will be overlooked/forgiven!
I used the birds from Giggle Grove and did some reverse stamping to make them
face each other. Colored them in, drew a little heart and handwrote Love Birds.
The paper on this is also Basic Grey's Urban Prairie - lovin this stuff!
Thanks for looking!

I got this single butterfly from Limelight it is made by Unity but sold in a set usually. I am not a HUGE butterfly fan I don't have THAT big a need for girly things!!! However as just one butterfly I thought it should come to live with me!!!

When I saw the Basic Grey Ambrosia paper (also from Limelight) I knew I needed to make a card pairing my butterfly and this paper! It's so pretty! I am NOT an orange fan but I love this paper! I even used Tangerine Tango - just for you Sarah (my friend who LOVES orange).

So I thought I would check out yesterdays sketch challenge on splitcoast! I love a good sketch! Card or scrapbook!
I thought I could make it work and it did!
Fairly simple card just Ambrosia papers layered with Basic Black. The butterfly is stamped in black and I added Black Diamond stickles and mini black rhinestones. The side needed something so I added the corduroy brads I got at Hobby Lobby! Luv 'em! Will be getting more real soon! Thanks for looking! Check back tomorrow for HHH!
Join us today for Hip Hop on Splitcoast - in the Unity Forum!

I have more layouts for you from VSBN but......

today's Wednesday and that means UNITY ADDICTS challenge!!! Woo Hoo!
K - obviously I am a Unity Addict - not ashamed to say so!
Here's my card, I used this week's Unity Sketch Challenge as well!
The challenge was to create a Valentine using a NON Valentine stamp.
Oh and you had to use buttons and ribbon too!
YAY! I read directions for once!
I got this sweet little sucker image in a Unity Image Swap I did
- I don't swap much but for Unity Images - heck yhea!
(Lisa if you are reading this I know I still owe you images I PROMISE they will make it to you!)
I colored the bow and stick with my SU markers and then stickled the top!
I punched it out with my pink Mavy oval punch and layered that with a Purely Pom purple Marvy Scalloped oval punch out -to which I added some dots!
The patterned paper is Basic Grey Bittersweet! I LOVE IT!
I got it from Limelight Papercrafts - love that store -they carry Unity!
I think she has a sale right now too!
The ribbon is SU Pretty in Pink Taffeta - really like that ribbon! Got it in a ribbon swap long ago.
Added the required buttons to some primas I had that I blinged up a bit with some stickles!
Got some new DISTRESS stickles - very cool - oh and they come out WAY fast!
Thanks for stopping by! Oh and you know that if today's Wednesday that means tomorow is
HIP HOP!!!!
Can't wait! I even have some spending money! YAY!

Ever wander if that image will fit on a Blue Marvy Square?
Or is that sentiment thin enough for the SU Word Window Punch?
I did all the time!
So I took a half sheet of 8.5 x 11 cardstock - just plain white
and I started punching out my different punches on it!
I love that thing (well now I actually have two of them! They are so great!
You could have it laminated for durability - hmmm might do that
Course then it wouldn't hang from my star hanger in my craft room.
That's where I store mine!
That's all for today - I might sometime get a pic of this uploaded!

...with VSBN, well actually it's over but you can participate in challenges and upload until this Sunday, February 8th! I had so much fun and finished 4 layouts, plus part of two others!
I won 2 prizes too! Plus there will be more prizes given to participants for various challenges!
So come on what are you waiting for? Find out all the information HERE.

Here is one of the layouts I completed this weekend. Sorry for the bad photo my camera was having issues! This was for Lynn's (yes the Unity Designer) challenge. It's Elementary!

This was a super fun challenge! This was the challenge - use as many "letters" as possible:
Use the following as your guide when creating your layout and try to include as many “letters” as you can.
S … is for STAMPING! Show me how you incorporate stamps onto your scrapbook pages.
C … is for CHIPBOARD! .
R … is for RIBBON, floss, thread, whatever!
A … is for ALPHAS (stickers, rub-ons, etc).
P … is for PATTERNED PAPER! Use at least two or three different
patterned papers on your layout to add lots of visual interest. (My friend Natalie about had a heart attack about this one - she has issues with patterned papers!)
B … is for BUTTONS!
O … is for ONE, Two, Three … as in numbers!
O … is for … well … O! As in CIRCLES …
K … is for “KUDOS” to you for taking part in this challenge
and getting another page done in the process!

Well I used several of the letters - see my problem is I read the challenge get it in my head - print off the sketch if there is one - this one there WAS - and it was fab!
And go to work! I don't always remember the challenge EXACTLY and sometimes I forget things especially when there's lots to remember like this one!!
Oh well I am still happy with the page and thrilled I did a page from our Honeymoon to Maui!
This page is of us arriving at our hotel and the goodies at the hotel! It was so amazing!
And I DID manage to use 3 different patterned papers from 3 different manufacturers!!!
I don't have an issue with patterns but I thought that was pretty impressive!
This was the first time I used the strips for my journaling - I LOVE IT!
and don't those Pink Paislee alphas match Pacific Point wonderfully?!?!?!