January's Reveal at Paper Popsicles!

I can't believe it! Another set of kits is up for purchase at Paper Popsicles and wowee they are sweet!!! This one is called Loveable. The kits are always jam packed with plenty of goodies. This one came with 5 pieces of Bo Bunny paper, 2 pieces of pink cardstock, 2 pieces of BestCreations paper, Making Memories Paperie Rouge canister of flowers and buttons, Maya Road rubons, Scenic Route Rubons, a colorbox ink in cranberry, Liquid Applique, a chipboard element, Technique Tuesday stamps, Three Bugs monogram alphas and ribbon!!!! Go check out these kits and while you are checking them out, the store is having a sale on nearly EVERYTHING! 40% off!!! Supplies are already regularly 30% off so this is quite a bargain!

Scrap Whispers!

I found a new challenge site that I excited about. Scrap Whispers. They have a blog and a Message Board. My name is TRICIA and I AM a challenge junkie! One of the main thrusts of this site is a scraplifting game that lasts about 2 months. There are several teams of participants that each lift a layout that is passed to them. At the end there is a gynormous prize! We started the new round yesterday!

In addition there are regulary challenges. This week's challenge (#10) is to do a layout with a Scrabble game board theme or feel to it. This layout came to me so quickly:

PageMaps Contest!

PageMaps is having a couple of contests on their blog!!!!! This was one of them. I loved this card sketch. It really spoke to me and was perfect for these Pink Paislee papers I have been absolutely loving. I altered the sketch a tad and put a band around the card to hold it closed.

2008: A year in Review

Serendipity Scrapbooks has weekly challenges to spur your blogging spirits. This week, Kim asked us to post about what was good/bad for 2008. You can see the thread here: http://www.serendipityscrapbooks.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=13607&highlight=
For me, this has mostly been a nice year. I was promoted to Director at work, thus moving me from a part time employee to full time. That transition was probably the most difficult for not only me, but for my kids. They have adapted quite well and I think that overall, they have grown with their independence. I am thankful that with the rocky economy, my DH and are employed. The kids have been healthy this year. We purchased our first brand new vehicle in like 10 years. That was so cool! I have been blessed with new friendships and rekindled some old ones as well. My DH continues to be my rock, my friend, my love. I am ready to see what challenges await for 2009.

Card*a*licious~8

I am going to go bonkers in the next few weeks without Card*a*licious challenges! They are taking a break during the holidays. Hmph. I will try not to pout too much! This week's challenge is to make a christmas card---but you must use a Christmas icon in your design, for example: santa, tree, ornament,angel, candy cane,etc. Here is my take on this challenge:Man oh man I just love this Pink Paislee Tinsel Town paper. I have used it up just about!!! I used my Cricut Expression to cut out the stocking. TFL!

Adopt a Client Success

Many of you know that I was working hard to adopt many needy people in our five counties for Christmas. I ultimately ended up adopting 275 people, ages 3 to 103 with the help over over 131 individuals and groups. Even the great gals at Paper Popsicles joined in with handmade greeting cards! I was surprised when the local news station, WNDU, wanted to come out. I used my camera to video the TV clip (pathetic, I know!). Hey mom and dad--I am on TV again!!!!

There were so many gifts in our storage area, my office, and the office next door it was AMAZING! What is even more amazing are the super generous people who came forward in the toughest of economic times. Thank you Michiana!

Why is this time of year so Special to me?

On Serendipity Scrapbooks, they have a weekly blogging thread for inspiration and this was the question for the week. I love this time of year as it seems to bring out the good in most everyone. I love surprising people with little gifts. I am amazed by the people who think of me and surprise me with a gift too. Most of all, I enjoy the time spent breaking bread with family and friends. Having my home full of people chatting and eating just warms my heart. The traditions that I keep alive every year for my little people make the season that much more magical.

ACK! I have been tagged....again

Ok all of you tagging people....STOP IT! While I am flattered, I barely have enough time to blog regularly without these hitting! Today's tagging comes from my dear friend from Paper Popsicles, Lynda. She is one amazing woman and does some spectacular work. You need to check out her blog here. And now for some random facts about me:
1. I love love love any combination of chocolate and peanut butter, especially if the chocolate is dark. YUM!
2. I love it when my bras and underwear match. I feel really put together then!
3. Kids with wet soupy coughs make me gag
4. I collect alot of scrapbooking supplies that I never use. (notice the word "collect")
5. I DO NOT, touch raw meat. That job belongs to my DH.
6. I love me a good scrapbooking challenge--Even if the challenge comes from my own head.
7. I really wish these tag games were connected to some sort of a rak (lol)
These are the lovely people I am passing this tagging on to:

Stacey www.stacey-scraps.blogspot.com
Marci www.marciknecht.blogspot.com
Joanne www.usinguptheprettypaper.blogspot.com
Sheila www.sheilaoxley.blogspot.com
Amy www.papertrailsleaver.blogspot.com
Char www.mom2jwo@blogspot.com

Oh Christmas Tree!!!

So I guess my MOJO is really rockin this weekend. Despite the snow and the cold we have been busy in the family and in the scrapbooking world. I am trying hard to break out of my mold and participate at other sites these days. Thankfully, Paper Popsicles keeps me well stocked on paper and supplies. There are amazing deals over there!

Friday started out like this:

But the weekend ended with me completing 4 challenges!!! I decided to try Valerie Salmon's Got Sketch Mini class. It was a free offering for one week. FREE works for me!!!! One sketch is based on her sketch:
Aren't these papers YUMMY? They are from the Paper Popsicles Store!!!! This is for the Mini Challenge, sketch #72. Again, the papers are from Paper Popsicles!

Nevis at Paper Popsicles was our December Guest Designer at Paper Popsicles. She posted this challenge: Using a magazine add she found, find some inspiration in it and make something. I came up with this:And finally, Stacey at Paper Popsicles, lured us to a the Feeling Scrappy blog, where they have posted a challenge to make a Christmas Card with untraditional colors (no red/green), some bling, and two different stamps. This is what I came up with: Isn't that shape card the coolest?!?! I got it at Paper Popsicles too!!!!! Rock on!

I finally did it!

Wowzers! 3 posts in 3 days....that has to be a record! And on top of it all, I actually revamped the blog! I know what you are thinking, ok? There were errors on the page and the color was annoying. I have wanted to get my own blog topper but really couldn't see myself spending money for one. So I made my own!!! Used paper and chipboard sticker shapes that I got at Paper Popsicles (of course). It is the very cute Woodland Whimsy line from Sassafras. And what a deal at that store! The flower was my own. The brown bling was also from the Paper Popsicles Store, Kaiser Craft. I stickled the heck out of the title too. Did you know that a person can actually use up a bottle of stickles? I have 4 bottles nearing the end of their usefulness believe it or not! TFL and TTFN!!!!

Laughing all the way....

So yesterday we went to the tree farm to get our tree. We decided that since it was going to snow today and be much colder, it would be better to just get 'er over with it. So we travel 45 minutes into Michigan, all the while being asked "is it much farther now????". Then we get there and this is what the ground looks like EVERYWHERE:

In case you were wondering, YES! It is mud and lots and lots of mud. Well this poses a bit of a challenge for those of us (ok, ME) who HATE HATE HATE to get dirty. Ok, so fast forward past that bit of drama....

We got our tree, and that is truly all that matters...

In case you are wondering, the stars were actually some neato creative light effect mode I used with my camera. Cool eh?

All of this Christmas stuff put me in the mood to knock out a couple of card challenges. One challenge was to create a mini card, no bigger than a 4x4 over at Card*a*licious. This is what I came up with:

Then, I couldn't resist sketch #72 I found in my mailbox from Sketches! {by tamara} Here is my take on that one:

December's Kit Reveal!!

It is reveal time at Paper Popsicles for the December kits and I must say WOW! These kits are absolutely FABULOUS! There is definitely way more than I would normally expect from a kit company. The mini kit is what I designed with, "Home Sweet Home". This kit is GYNORMOUS and well worth the $12.50! Here are some things I made with this "mini kit":

Card*a*lcious #6

Don't know how i am doing it but I was able to get another card done to go along with the challenges at Card*a*licious. The designers sure have it going on! This week the challenge was to use 3 circles on your card. I decided to get out my transparency and dry emboss the front and use circles as ornaments on the front. The printed paper and the rubon are on the inside.
TFL!!!