Tea with Princess Annabelle

When I saw these photos of my niece on my sister's Facebook photos page, I had to get prints! Sure, they're blurry (the kid moves quickly and constantly), but in a wallet size they came out so darned cute!

I created this layout using one of the sketches on Becky Fleck's Page Maps site for March 2009 and using some of my stash of flowers and buttons and DCWV Whimsey papers.

Solid

I haven't sewn on a layout for so long, and recently I keep thinking - with each new layout - that I ought to drag out the machine for this... this time I really wanted to... because I did!

My process was backwards from the beginning, I started with a scrap of Hambly left from another layout, some MM paper and a photo of my mom and sisters (and sweet Julian). From there I just searched my messy table for stuff to go with the two. A torn scrap from the recent Scrapbookers Clubhouse kit, Prima Say it with Crystals, Prima journaling card and some Maya Road ribbon from the same kit came next.

I topped it off with felt flowers from Making Memories nd Heidi Swapp centered with MM velvet brads. Although I had my title in mind from my first selection (the bricks of the hambly) I wasn't settled on the title "Solid" or on the Basic Grey alphas (also from the SBCH kit)... they came about after the final placement and stitching of the MM RicRack.

Who could resist this face?

Certainly not I!

This layout was done using the April kit from Scrapbookers Clubhouse.

Upon first glance, I was a little worried about using this kit, mostly because it isn't something I'd immediately grab if I was shopping... but as I started working with the elements together, I started wishing I had more of it so that I could do MORE!

The papers are Fancy Pants: Delight... doublesided, they are so fun and flirty! The flowers are Prima Essentials 8 and the felt is Prima Devine Flirty Felt. I had all of the darling buttons in my MM button stash.

"Happy Girl" by Martina McBride is Dani and Belle's "theme" song, so my title was inspired... by the quote, which is so very Belle!

Wish I Was Here

I have been holding onto this picture for about 10 years now. I don't even remember how I came to have it, I think it was a color copy from work that was a discard. All I know is I love it.

This is my paradise.

I finally pulled it out and did something with it, mounting it on a canvas board and adding just a tiny bit of stuff, some flowers and seashells, perfect, right?

It's hanging on my cubicle wall at work and it's like a little window to paradise.

Guilty Pleasure!

"Greenie Day"

Happy St. Pat's!

Mimi, my grandma, used to call it "Greenie Day" and she would show me this lovely shamrock pin. It never had the tag removed until I got her jewelry. I now wear it every "Greenie Day" to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and to remember my grandma.

I hope you remember to wear your green and if you don't, I hope you don't get too many unwelcome pinches ;)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Cute as BUTTONS

I've been hoarding these papers for far too long now. They were just waiting in my "Boy" paper section for this fun picture. This layout was done for my friend Ali's challenge at Scrapbooker's Clubhouse to do a curved title.

I'm terrible with using buttons but have seen some great clusters lately (including and especially some by Ali) so I decided to try my hand. I liked it as I was putting it together and now I like it even more with the addition of the layer of star brads.

This handsome little man is my darling Nephew Julian and we were at his Aunt Nancy's wedding waiting for the ceremony. He Bogarted my Starbuck's cup!!!

My iPod

It all started with the Rockfessions post cards... I did a few and to my delight and surprise, I won an iPod Shuffle.

It's a cute little red goodie. I couldn't believe the amount of music that can fit on something that teeny. I hadn't used it for the first 7 months I owned it. I was not yet interested. Then as I started thinking about the whole convenience factor of an electronic device for music instead of lugging cds from car-to-car (mostly for my niece, who would always ask for a cd I didn't have with me) I started thinking it was time to move to the 21st century.

I started using the shuffle and became rapidly addicted to the variety of music at my fingertips. Then my sister offered to sell me her iPod classic. I was happy with my shuffle but then again, it would allow for even more variety...

SO... I now have the Classic... and have given my sweet little red Shuffle to my best friend... it's time for her introduction to the 21st century... and my Classic is loaded with almost my entire (paltry) cd catalog. I haven't listened to these things since I bought them and now I can hear them whenever I feel the urge.

Here's a list of random artists:

1. Nora Jones
2. Metallica
3. Boston
4. the Thompson Twins
5. Nelson
6. Hanson
7. Kenny Chesney
8. Martina McBride
9. Poison
10. Duran Duran

Honorary Design Team Member

I was so honored to be asked to be on the Design team for Scrapbookers Clubhouse. I had so much fun last summer as a Guest DT member so of course I didn't hesitate to say YES!

Among the duties of a Design Team member, my favorite is the challenges. I was asked to offer a seasonal challenge so I created this fun and frilly bit of sweetness

I got most of the stuff on this from Michaels... the only things not from Michaels were the Basic Grey stickers, the Heidi Swapp transparent overlay butterflies and the flower/button combo.

The eyelet squares are gift cards from the dollar bin! and can you believe that awesome felt coaster? I didn't have a clue how I'd use it but I knew it needed to be on some creation or other.

This is a picture of a quiet moment with my niece on her mommy's lap at her Aunt Nancy's wedding.

I hand wrote an excerpt from Martina McBride's "She's a Butterfly" song lyrics around the main image of the layout.

I just love that sweet little bug.

So my challenge, if you can't tell, was to create a layout using LOTS of yellow and at least 1 butterfly. I am challenged, myself, to create with yellow, so I offered everyone the same challenge I was trying myself with.

The best part of being on the design team is that it's allowed me to leave the scrapbooking drought that I was suffering under. I have created many cards over the past several months but haven't done a layout in LONGER than the amount time that I've neglected my blog!

I hope to not do either of those things again! I've got a lot going on but not so much that I can't record it and share!