Caroline & Zach

I just put the finishing touches on my latest layout, and here it is!

I love this picture of my daughter, Caroline, and her boyfriend, Zach. When I saw the precious little birds in the Silhouette online store, I knew that they'd be perfect for this photo! I used lots of new patterned paper from some amazing manufacturers on this project, like bellablvd., Echo Park Paper Co., lilybeedesign, and Jillibean Soup.

Aren't these birds sweet? And look, one has blue eyes and one has brown, just like Caroline and Zach! I know, I'm a big cheese!

I made cupcake toppers last week for my nephew Hudson's third birthday party. It had a race car theme, so I made street lights, stop signs and "3 mph" signs. They were sweet! Simple, but cute.

Only a few more days until all four of my babies are off of school for the summer. We can't wait! Hope to be back with a nice long post sometime soon. :)

Happy Birthday, Hudson!

My sweet nephew Hudson is going to be 3 in a couple of weeks. He's the curly-haired cutie-pie on the right.

I offered to make his birthday party invitations - I love the look of a handmade invite! Huddy is big into the movie "Cars", so he is having a race car themed celebration. I cut out the race car and cloud of smoke using the Silhouette Cameo. I glued black buttons to the tires for a quick, cute accent.

I really enjoy making invitations for the special people in my life. It's such an expression of love to take the time to make something by hand for someone else. I'm not patting myself on the back here - this is how I express myself. It's my unique way of sharing with the people I love.

Hope you like this sweet, simple invite. Happy birthday, Hudson! :)

Jackie Boy

Chevrons are a big trend at the moment, and I love them! Here's my first attempt at using chevrons on a layout.

Anna Banana

I just finished a sweet, simple page for my girl, Anna. Just cardstock, patterned paper hearts, a few shell buttons, Thickers, and a photo. Hope you like!

My Scrapbooking Top 10

I was talking with a friend recently who mentioned that she really wants to start scrapbooking, but feels overwhelmed with all of the products on the market. With this in mind, I put together a list of my top 10 favorite tools and supplies!

1. Camera

It all starts with a photograph! I have a Nikon D90 digital SLR. I love it, and I don't mind that it's kinda big and bulky. It takes amazing pictures, and it goes everywhere with me. SLRs aren't for everyone, though. Many people prefer the portability of digital point and shoot cameras. You can get beautiful pictures these little guys, or even with your cell phone!

2. Computer

Where else are you going to store all those beautiful photographs?! I made the switch from pc to Mac several years ago, but either can handle the task of photo organization, editing and storage.

3. Printer

I guess that you could get by without a printer - there are many online photo labs that allow you to upload your digital images for printing, but I like to print my own photos at home. The Epson Stylus Photo R1900 is my printer of choice! It's a large format printer made especially for printing photographs. It produces prints with amazing color and clarity, and I use mine daily.

4. Paper Trimmer

Every scrapbooker needs a paper trimmer to accurately cut photos and card stock. For years I used an inexpensive, readily available portable paper trimmer manufactured by Fiskars. This trimmer, and others like it, can be purchased at Walmart, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc. I wasn't always happy with the cuts that this trimmer produced - I often got uneven, imprecise lines. A few years ago, I upgraded to what I consider the ultimate in paper trimmers - the Genesis! It even has an optional side light that illuminates the cutting edge so that you can see exactly where your cut is going to be. It is fabulous!

5. Cardstock

I never create a layout without it! My favorite manufacturer is American Crafts. Their high-quality, textured card stock is available in single sheets, or in bulk, in black, white, and just about every color you might imagine. I can't get enough of it!

6. Scissors

You really should have a pair of sharp, short-bladed scissors for making tiny, intricate cuts. Micro-tip Fiskars are my favorite, and have been since I started scrapbooking in 1999. I use mine so frequently that I dull the blades and have to purchase a new pair every few months.

7. Adhesives

Preferences in adhesives vary widely amongst scrapbookers and paper artists. I've tried a variety over the years - from glue sticks and pens back when the industry was new, to glue dots and liquid adhesives today. I keep several bottles of mono multi and dispensers of mini glue dots on my desk top at all times!

8. Cricut Expression 2

The Cricut Expression 2 is one of several models of electronic, personal die cutting machines manufactured by Provo Craft. Cricut die cutters do not require a computer, which makes them portable for on the go scrappers, but do require cartridges, which range in price from $20 to $60. The cartridges have themed shapes (Christmas, birthday, baby, etc.) that, when plugged into the Cricut, can be sized up to 12"x24", and electronically cut. The Cricut line of die cutting machines has been around for over five years now, and has made a huge impact on the scrapbooking world. The art of scrapbooking has risen to new levels since the introduction of the Cricut machines. Paper is not the only thing that can be cut with a Cricut. Adhesive vinyl used in home decor projects is very popular, and is offered in many colors. Cricut machines can cut fabric, magnet material and thin chipboard. I've used my Cricut to make birthday cake toppers, stars for the walls of my boys' bedroom, banners for church, school projects . . . the list goes on and on!

9. Silhouette Cameo

If you love the Cricut, you will love the Silhouette Cameo! Unlike the Cricut, the Cameo does not require cartridges. It connects to the computer via USB cable (it cannot be used separate from the computer like the Cricut). Silhouette hosts an online store with thousands of images that can be purchased individually. Instead of buying a cartridge that perhaps has only a few shapes of interest to you, you can pick and choose the images you want. Most are $.99 each, but some are as low as $.50, and there is a free shape available for download every week. Also, monthly subscriptions are offered at big savings. For example, I chose the $20/month, one year subscription. Each month, I can download 100 images of my choice for $20. Can't beat that deal! The Cameo is capable of making very clean, precise, intricate cuts. Silhouette makes heat transfer material, which can be used to cut out images that can then be ironed onto fabric. Imagine custom t-shirts for your little ones, ball caps, tote bags, aprons, baby bibs, onuses, throw pillows, pillow cases . . . it's all so good!

10. Craft Desk

I've been scrapbooking for over 13 years now, and it's only in the last several years that I've had a dedicated space in which to work. Before I got my desk, I made do with the dining room table, the kitchen counter, the floor, my bed - practically any horizontal surface I could find! If you have room for a desk, this one from Target is great! There is a very similar desk offered by Pottery Barn, but the one on Target's website is half the price.

The art of scrapbooking is highly personal. My absolute favorite "celebrity" scrapbooker (why yes, that would be the one and only Cathy Zielske) doesn't own a Cricut or a Cameo. She is a photo/adhesive/cardstock kinda gal, and her work is brilliant. What works for one might not necessarily work for another. Have fun finding what works for you!

I'm published!

Many "serious" scrapbookers share a desire to see their work published in one of the various scrapbooking magazines on the market - Scrapbook Trends, Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbooks, Etc., Cricut Magazine, and the list goes on. In the last six or so months, I've been submitting a lot. Anything I create that seems trendy enough for the mags, I submit. Because my style is comparatively clean and simple, I have to work a bit at coming up with something that fits the current look. To increase my odds of publication, I've also submitted paper projects that aren't scrapbook pages - party/shower invitations, home dec projects, cupcake toppers . . . pretty much anything that I think might catch the eye of the editors. I recently submitted a few photos of some cupcake toppers that I made for the kids' Easter table at my sister's house. Here are the photos that I sent in.

From this submission, I got an email from an editor at Northridge Publishing (Trends, Create, Cricut, etc.) wanting me to recreate the project for publication. Well, sure, I can hook you up with that, Miss Nice Editor Lady! I put it together and sent it in, and lo and behold, lookie here! Here's the cover (not my project, by the way) -

and here are the two pages detailing my project!

Yes, it's a cupcake topper. No, it's not a layout. It's my first time being published, though, so I'll take it! I'm hoping that the link to my blog will create some new traffic, and perhaps some interest in my work. I know, I know, my scrapbooking ego is ridiculous! And there are SO many talented ladies out there who make my work look like doo-doo. I'll keep plugging away, and maybe one day soon, I'll be able to say that I've been published for a second time! :)

Hey there! I've been working on a few projects lately, so the time has come for me to share them with you!

I love this layout! It's not my typical photo-heavy, embellishment-light type of page. I made it using my Cricut Expression and the Everyday Pop-Up Cards and Give a Hoot cartridges. I used lots of pop dots to create dimension on the clouds, the balloon, and the flowers along the bottom. I love the photos of my precious babies, too. They were all taken last spring, and I've been dying to use them on a layout.





This is the sketch that I worked from. I don't always make a sketch beforehand, but when I do, I find that the layout comes together much quicker than when I don't. Besides, they're really fun to draw!



Ah, the butterfly page! When I started putting this layout together, I thought that I'd add maybe a few butterflies around the photo with lots of white space left over. It just kind of evolved into a flurry of bright, beautiful butterflies. Turns out, I really like it! I punched the butterflies out of patterned paper scraps using Martha Stewart and Jenni Bowlin punches. I glued them down with a tiny dot of glue in the center of each, then popped the wings up. Cute, cute, cute! The whole butterfly theme originated with Caroline's dress. When she was 3 years old, she wore this dress all the time! I can remember ironing it and spraying a bit of starch on the butterflies to make them stand up. I think that of all the dresses she wore over the years, this one is my very favorite. :)



I love pinwheels. They remind me of spring and of cool, sunny days. I took these photos of Jackson in April, 2006, on just such a day. I cut out the pinwheel, grass and clouds using my Silhouette Cameo. I stitched the pinwheel's stick using baker's twine. I probably should have used a subtle patterned paper instead of the solid blue card stock, but I didn't want it to compete with the patterned paper that I used for the pinwheel.



And the sketch . . .



I don't know about you, but I LOVE Pinterest! I've gotten so many great ideas from browsing around all the different boards. A couple of weeks ago, I came across a large 3-D monogram that had been painted and covered with photos and used as wall art. I knew immediately that I wanted to do the same thing for Anna's room! I searched around our local arts & crafts stores, and found just what I was looking for at JoAnn's. I purchased all the letters I would need to spell out "Anna", and spray painted them black. Then I printed out lots of photos of Anna at all stages from birth to present in black and white. I'm in the process of trimming them to fit, and gluing them on. Here's a picture of the progress I've made so far. These are going to look great on the wall in her room! I'll share another picture when they're all done and hanging up.



We've been busy the last couple of months. In February, Anna was a junior maid in the St. Martinville Rotary Club Mardi Gras ball. She was beautiful! My mom spent countless hours making her gorgeous costume. Here's Anna right before her turn to walk.





Here's a shot of Anna and Mom after the entire court had been presented. There were beads and doubloons flying everywhere!



The 2012 college baseball season started up in February, and it turns out that I've got a house full of LSU fans. We've got season tickets - not the best seats, but better than none at all - and Gil and Caroline attend as many games as possible. Here is a picture of Caroline and her sweet friend Skylar with Brent Bonvillain, LSU's pitcher. After the games, the players are available for photos and autographs, which Caroline loves!



Like so many of you, I am participating in "Project Life". The idea is to take one photo each day to document the ordinary happenings in your life. Add a quick sentence or two about the picture, pop it into the album, and at the end of the year, you have a beautiful album highlighting 365 days of your life. It's simple and beautiful, and I love it! I'll be sharing the first 10 weeks of 2012 with you in my next post!



Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and visit with me! :)