{ in 1, 2 & 3d...} **REMOVED FOR PUBLICATION**

what I know ( @ 39 )...Little Black Dress Kit September

 

For the last couple years I have been doing a LO with the

theme "What I Know"...at whatever age, i.e. getting older. 

I barely squeezed this one in before my 39th year ended!

 

 

But I am ok with that since I actually planned the page

and wrote the journaling about 5 months ago, just got

caught up with all the great pictures from the summer &

the beach!  Anyway, I love the Polaroid style of this paper

from American Crafts and it sort of inspired this quilted look

of separate pieces...which is REALLY hard for me to do

lately, because I have been using layer on top of layer...

 

 

Anyway, as my neighbor would say..."It is what it is".

And at 39, well now at 40, I am ok with what IT is!

summer blues?

This was for the the Studio Calico Sunday Sketch from 09/16:

http://studiocalico.typepad.com/studio_calico/sunday-sketch/

The first day of school the kids got coupons to the candy shoppe 

that just happens to be their obsession right now.  Called "Sugar", they 

have every kind of candy you can imagine as well as about 40 flavors of

shaved ice...the syrups are on these back lit shelves are are like a modern

stained glass confection!  Beautiful alone, but with ice and sugar...mmm.

Crack for kiddos...The only problem is trying to decide which flavor to pick!

Sofia usually always goes for cotton candy or blue raspberry...Sam always

chooses something different and this day it was "Tiger's Blood"...?

Don't know about the title, but it tasted good...

I have been trying to clear out space for new products, ahem!, and 

these colors were just too bright and summery for anything fall-ish!

I used up a lot of my scraps from the August Scrapbook Circle Kit.

Perfect for this layout!  I had tried this technique before, but was re-inspired

after Ania-Maria's tutorial on her blog & Lily Bee's website.

It is a great way to use up little pieces to make a big impact.  

I think a whole page of these colors would be too much but as a 

background peeking out, it was just enough...

love. that's all.

I love the new Kit from Scrapbook Circle "Talk of the Town"!

It has a lot of the new Amy Tan pieces from her new collection with

American Crafts...I love the die cuts from it...had to use that camera right away.

The linen heart is part of the Kit and I wanted to use it with that wood decking

patterned paper but I didn't want it to be too girly since this was a LO 

about my father-in-law and my son.  So, I cut the gear shaped using my Silhouette

out of watercolor paper, which worked great!  I had been meaning to try that, 

but just never got around to it...Then I watercolored them trying to get an ombre effect.  

I also cut out the little paper doll people holding hands and just lightly painted them.

READY OR NOT...

Finally, got a chance to play with the September Scrapbook Circle Kit,

which is AWESOME!

I have been looking forward to so much of it since CHA...woohoo!

Anyway, this is using the Scrapbook Circle September Sketch Challenge:

http://www.scrapbookcircle.com/2012/09/september-sketch-challenge

I love the word bubbles are just hearts, like thoughts...and considering that 

we weren't talking and the photo subject, they were perfect!  I love that 

Amy Tan reddish-orange paper from the new Ready, Set, Go! collection, 

but I didn't want too much to take away from the photo and bubbles 

with too vibrant a color.  That is why I layered the vellum and then tore

 it a bit to let some of that beautiful color peak through!

I am definitely NOT ready, but it is already here...and gaining momentum!

My babies are growing up...They are little people with their own dreams, fears 

and opinions...lots of opinions!

and know they love you...

In avoiding the garbage that was on the radio this morning, I turned

to our local oldies station and the song "Teach Your Children" by 

Crosby, Stills & Nash was on...That is a great song and fits with 

our recent pre-tween dealings with my 8 year old.  

I do just look and her and sigh...and as my husband says, 

know she loves us...now.  She may not want anything to do with

us or her little brother in 5 years, but for now, she is still our little girl.

This was using the October Afternoon Thursday Sketch from 

last week and most of the Woodland Park Collection along with some

other bits and pieces of previous collections.

Here is the link to their blog:

http://octoberafternoon.typepad.com/october_afternoon/2012/09/thursday-sketch-challenge.html#comments 

ikea...STEP 1

I used the Lily Bee Monday Sketch Challenge from September 3rd

for this LO about our last adventure to Ikea!

Here is the link to their post:

http://lilybee.typepad.com/blog/2012/09/monday-sketch-challenge.html

In moving my craft room from our, let's face it storm shelter, 

into the adjoining room which served as our office...we made a big

trip to Ikea in Atlanta to buy file drawers, a table top and the 

seemingly obligatory "Expedit" wall shelves!  I had planned out what

I needed, or thought I needed, got my in-laws to watch our kids for 

the day and we drove forth to conquer.  No matter how many

times we go to Ikea, I am still overwhelmed...I still never see everything 

I want to and yet, we still leave buying more stuff than intended.

At any rate, it is such a deal, and for the $, good quality...

I couldn't wait to get started and had moved everything out into giant

piles in the hallway, insuing more chaos that usual.  I started opening the 

boxes and putting things together, not wanting to wait until my husband

could help, and began the process of sorting out ALL the pieces.

For everything we bought there were only a couple missing, which is a record for us!

I thought it would be funny to use these gears I die-cut with my Cameo and
make the confetti seem like it was flying out from the photo.  And I used the vellum
underneath the patterend paper, to symbolize the packaging we had everywhere!

I still have a long way to go, and it seems like Scrapbookers are in a constant state 

or organizing and reorganizing...Gotta find a place to store all the new goodies!! :)

KICKS... ( ScrapFit Challenge )

I had everything set out for this LO before I realized it fit perfectly

with the ScrapFit Warm-Up #31 that is to use a patterned paper

for the background.  I had actually planned to use the cream text

paper for the entire LO and then the peachy hexagon as just an

accent.  I changed it around to challenge myself a little bit.  

Here is the link to their blog post:

http://scrapfit.blogspot.com/2012/09/warm-up-31.html

I decided to give myself another little challenge so other than those two papers, 

I made myself use everything that was either on my desk or within arms reach.

My goal was to use up all the scraps and previous pieces I cut with my Silhouette

which are all crammed into a little bowl.  The paper I used for the photo mat was

a really old piece of paper that I had used to make some little cards for

my son's class...they were the sticks for a popsicle and I mis-measured and the 

Silhouette cut right on the edge.  It reminded me of the scancards we used to 

have for testing in college...And was a great place to tuck more things into!

I also went a little out of my comfort zone to use black thread for my stitching.  

It looked like the tiny scrap I used from the starburst paper from October Afternoon

that has the same black zigzag stitching between the patterns.

ALL GROWN UP...Little Black Dress Kit September

I CANNOT believe it is here...already. 

My baby started Kindergarten....How can that be??

He seem so little compared to how my daughter seemed for Kindergarten.

I don't think that looking back at the photos, but it is just crazy.

Someone else spends more time with him than I do or will, ever, again...sniff.

On a brighter note, it is great that after having already been through

all of the excitement and nervousness and preparation once, we are 

like seasoned veterans...We know where to go and when, know the teacher

and some parents of older siblings...so that makes all of this easier to take.

Everything I used for this LO is from the September Kit from LBD and one 

of my favorite things they do is to throw in some random, retro or vintage

pieces of ribbon or book paper, or in this month's case, a Dr. Seuss

Red Fish, Blue Fish card, which I promptly cut up so I could use the bright 

colors as inspiration and spread them out all over the page.  

It was perfect for this day and matched the flowers Sam brought for his teacher!

32 degrees...Little Black Dress Kit September

Sofia is either trying to go for the most crazy mismatched, non-appropriate

seasonal look....or you want everything to match, really EVERYTHING!

Even your frozen yogurt and sprinkles needed to match your tie-dye dress.

These papers & most of the other products are from the Dear Lizzy

ccollection, part of the September Kit at Little Black Dress...

and is perfect for ice cream, summery, girly layouts!

but you said...cheese(y)

This is the Elle's Studio Thursday Sketch that I also used 

some the tips from Jen Jockisch's class "Pop Off the Page"

that I had signed up for...I love the laying look anyway and I kinda

have a problem knowing when to stop anyway, so perfect class for me!

Here is the link to the Elle's Studio post:

http://ellesstudio.blogspot.com/2012/09/sketch-thusday-0906.html

 

I have used so many instagram photos for my layouts recently,

everything seems to be based on that square image!  I love it.

I love the filters and the border that you can choose that I think makes

it stand out on it own...no mat needed!  I printed this photo out

in the sepia tone so I could really play up lots of the orange and turquoise.

I had planned to use lots of the supplies that came with that Studio Calico class,

but I ended up only using the little white tag, and the little piece of washi that

held their bag together.  That is what I love about layering...I just grab what is

on my desk or sift around my scraps or things I meant to use and throw it all

together until the composition makes sense...at least to me!

LUCKY me...LBD September Kit

 This LO was done with my new favorite product,

American Crafts Zing! in GOLD...and I painted the Kraft
cardstock with a copper acrylic paint that looked really
cool and photographed really terribly.  I tried several times and
 it always came out orange looking...
Anyway, I never thought I would be such a glitter,
sequiny (not sure if that is a word) person!

 I LOVE this woodgrain paper from Echo Park that is part
of the September Kit at Little Black Dress Kit Club...
I only used a little piece so I could hoard it for later...muwahh hah, hah
Silliness...
This was a little photo shoot we did at the beach last year and the kids
were wearing cute little linen shirts and dresses and I was all bummed out
with no makeup on, since I am always the one behind the camera,
I don't have to worry about that stuff...but, I jumped in for a couple
and this one turned out to be halfway decent!

BRACE YOURSELF...LBD September Kit

 Sofia was destined for braces...

She had an inherited overbite from me and then

sucked her thumb for FAR too long.  After she

thought she had quit, I would go check on her at 

night and she had in her mouth without realizing it.

Neither Shawn nor I ever had braces so we didn't know

what to expect or tell her.  She had to have 2 baby teeth

extracted first that we're coming in crooked and going to

disturb the roots of her permanent teeth. 

I made Shawn take off work, I was prepared for a 

long weekend of Advil and ice cream and whatever I

could do to make her happy...

 What I was not prepared for was to have her not shed a tear,

not say she was in pain, not even REALIZE that the 

dentist, who is my new favorite person ever,  had already yanked her 
teeth and put them in a little pink box...after using some really scary 
metal ice pick looking thing to loosen them and actual pliers.  

The very next morning, 16 hours later, she got braces with hot pink,
 orange and yellow bands...the colors are VERY important.
Again, no complaints and a great attitude.  She was a little
down about not being able to have some of her favorite things,
like gum & popcorn, but other than that, it is like they are accessory.
A very expensive accessory...

cards, cards, and more cards...

I have so many cards for the month of September...
birthday, anniversary, new baby and a whole bunch of kid's birthdays coming up!
So, I have been grabbing some 6x6 pads and getting busy!
This was a sketch from Kimber's Saturday Sketch Challenge...very versatile!

These were both for Jillibean Soup...their Soup Labels & Pea Pod Parts
scream for card making!  I can't wait for the new stuff!

LOOKING DOWN...

I will admit that I loved my Blackberry...had no reason to think
that the iPhone was any different except that my husband wouldn't
let his out of his sight for more than a minute without going into
withdrawals.  After getting an iPad, I started to admit to myself that
Apple products are pretty amazing.  Then I finally broke down and
joined the iPhone club when my contract was up and more importantly,
I had to disassemble my Blackberry every other day to get it to work.

So, I still need lessons and about 36 hours of free time to play with and
learn about apps and everything else I haven't begun to appreciate about it.
However, I will admit that the camera, to me, is the best part of the phone.
I LOVE Instagram!  I love the Hipstamatic app and all the other toys
and filters...I have had several photography classes and grew up
with a father who collected, obsessed and knew everything, yes everything,
about cameras...I wonder what he would think about how many
photos I take with my phone.  More than anything else, since it is always
with me and usually readily accessible, ( yes, I am now like my husband who I
made fun of for his love affair with the iPhone ) I am more likely to
take a photo  of something that I wouldn't have been able to before.

That being said it makes me look at things in a different way since I
know I could take an immediate photo, or wonder what it would look
like in a square format, or all yellowed out like it was taken in 1972
with a Polaroid!  So, taking a little break from the constant scrapping
of my children, I decided to use a couple of those Instagram photos
with the Studio Calico Sunday Sketch and did this LO.
Here is the link the the sketch and post on their blog:
http://studiocalico.typepad.com/studio_calico/sunday-sketch/

I love this Studio Calico paper, but honestly cannot get into the starburst trend.
I think it is great, but I am not patient enough, or possibly to anal retentive to
actually make myself cut all those pieces so carefully...I quite like a partial starburst,
just not an entire page of it.  So, this paper made me think of looking down and
seeing things from I bird's eye view perspective.

the dog days are over...

I have been doing so many LO's with only one or two photos and 

I had so many great ones from the beach and the rest of our summer.

I did this page using the October Afternoon Thursday Sketch which 

called for a grid design and was perfect for a collage of lots of little photos...
http://octoberafternoon.typepad.com/october_afternoon/2012/08/thursday-sketch-line-em-up-.html

I love the power and impact of a large photo layout, but sometimes the

little photos make you get more involved and actually look at them, and 

want to read the journaling describing those photos...

This is the new Woodland Park collection from October Afternoon,

along with some other little bits & pieces laying around on my desk.

I don't think any other manufacturer makes me want to use their

buttons more than OA.   I love their subtle design to each button and

the colors are so great!  I LOVE this cloud paper and it would totally

be a perfect candidate for my hoarding addiction, but I forced myself

to use the entire piece and NOT cut it up...

A lot if these photos would be great for individual pages, but it also nice to 

use a page to give the overall mood and idea of our summer.  

It went by way too fast and there were lots of trips to nearby bodies of water!

Beaches, Lakes & pools...oh my!