Top 10 in '12!

Monday, December 31, 2012

Well, I didn't think I would have time to do this post,
but it really is fun to look back at everything I have done over the last year.....
A little encouragement and hope for the New Year!

I have definitely done more scrapping this year than all the
years I have been doing it put together!  Woohoo!
Probably explains my creative cravings been more satisfied and the
fact that every time my children see a camera, they automatically paste
a smile on their face...or cross their eyes and stick out their tongue...

Anyway, here are my top 10 favorite layouts from the past year!
( in no particular order since apparently that would involve my computer to do what I ask, oy!)
Thank you for all your sweet comments and stopping by my little world...
Happy New Year!

tAToOos & TEAMWORK ( June )

ikea ( September )

loving life. ( July )

ALL GROWN UP ( August )






COLOR outside THE LINES ( October )

love. that's all. ( September )

relax.breathe ( June )
the gathering ( July )

twinkle TWINKLE ( December )











ScrapROOM { In Progress }

Monday, December 31, 2012

One of my New Years Resolutions is to finally, or at least start
to finish up moving everything into my new craft room and getting it
organized...I had these photographs taken, and a video too, such as it is,
and then Shimelle did her last class of the year about scrap spaces.

So much of what she said are things I have heard before or known, but sometimes
it takes hearing it again, especially in a new place, for it to really make sense.
I said that having everything within arms reach makes you more likely to
use it, and even though I have a good memory, most of the time, I can't always
think of the perfect embellishment that might be hiding in a drawer just waiting to
be discovered!  And instead I will pick up something that I can see...
Shimelle's point was that knowing the way you scrap helps you organize
things into the easiest, most time efficient way to be able to use those things.
  

{ Overall view from the entry door...only one window since I am in the basement.
Just finished projects on the shelves and photos or idea on the magnetic board. }

And I am definitely one who needs to see what I have to remember.
At the end of last year, I went thru all our Christmas cards and sorted them but
year in order to do layouts that used the ones I liked best and closest friends
and organized them all into neat little folders to be scrapped and then totally
forgot about them, until a few months ago when I began moving into my new room.
So, now I totally forgot all about that project because I thought I was being organized!


{ Left corner with printer cart, Silhouette and rolling carts from Ikea }

I keep all my Silhouette mats, blades and tools in the top drawer and photo paper
and other house files below.  The rolling cabinet on the right with drawers
has adhesive,stamp block and ink, distress inks and
the bottom file in for Thickers, letter stickers and masks...one day scraps.


{ Main work island made from 2 "Alex" drawer cabinets from Ikea, 
tabletop from Ikea but built up to counter height by my husband! }

The drawers hold punches, borders punches, sticker sheets and die cuts,
tags and jopurnaling cards.  A couple drawers have the latest collections
from some of my favorite manufacturers that I want to use before I
forget I have them...and a couple hold just kits from a couple different clubs.

This is my main work area and so I have the spinner on top with glue pens,
scissors and other tools, bowls for little bits I can't bear to throw out and
a tray for current projects or kits I am working with at the moment!

When my husband built the table top up for me it left a gap that runner the length
of the desk on both sides of a support beam.  It is the perfect height and place
to store paper towels, baby wipes, paper trimmers and a sketchbook or two.


{ Right corner shelving with inks, washi, wood block and clear stamp
storage on shelves.  A Clip it Up in the corner with labels and stickers on it. }

I have two cabinets with 5 cubbies on each side of this long top that runs the length
of the back wall.  They are actually part of a wine storage cabinet that used to
be in our kitchen.  They are perfect for some little storage jars that hold blank
tags, twine, tiny wood letter stamps and lots of other things!


Corner storage shelf that has my the white cubbies from my old scrap room on it.
These are all from Michael's and hold patterned papers that are lonely, transparencies,
chipboard, projects that were planned and neatly put away and forgotten...oops.
And buttons, paints, embossing stuff in the drawers.
The shelf below has idea books, stationary, and blank note cards and envelopes.


The Expedit shelf from Ikea which has just finished projects on top,
cardstocks, ribbon, refills for adhesive and photo boxes and lots of
stuff that hasn't found a home yet!  The bottom row are albums which
are becoming increasingly full!  I need at least a day to go thru all of them,
but I don't scrap things chronologically so it seems silly to do it now when
I will have to do it again later.  That is procrastinator Jenni talking, well typing...

So that is it!
A continuous work in progress but my little piece of heaven on our house!
Thank you to my wonderful husband for moving his drums and letting me take
over our office.  And for all the help building and replacing and listening to me ramble
on about paper and lighting and accessibility and stuff I am sure he would rather not hear!

the fever! (you+me)...My Mind's Eye

Sunday, December 30, 2012


This is some of the My Mind's Eye collection 'Love Me' and some 
Lost & Found sets...lots of bits & pieces laying around!
Obviously not Christmasy, but it went so well with Sofia's new robe
and since I had used MME stuff for the envelope I made for this gift, 
I thought I should use it here as well.  
I also used their sketch for the December Challenge found here:

Yes, we bought Sofia tickets to see Justin Bieber.  Her first concert, in just
a couple weeks...I am sure she is counting down the days.  It is pretty exciting.
I told her we could sell the tickets for a lot more and put that money in
her college account, but I got that "are you really crazy, Mommy?" look that 
she has perfecting lately...Anyway, that is the story of this page!


I remember my first concert, not nearly as exciting as this, and not nearly
as expensive either...but I want her to remember it and hope it is something 
special she will remember that we did together, when she has not only perfected
that look, but all the other tween/teen angst looks of sarcasm that feel like
they are seriously around the bend!!  Ugh...sorry, dark turn.


Anyhoooo.....
I feel like I haven't been on here in a while but I have been scrapping lots, 
just can't show any of it yet!!  Which means some exciting things in the future! :)

I love this time of year, time to clean up and clear out and make resolutions!!
I am going to be super positive and say this year is going to be fantastic!   
I have both kids in school, am 40 years old and have some serious determination to reach my 
g o a l 
And to kick all that off, we have a Bieberconcert to go to! 

( Hope he doesn't spit up on stage, that would totally put
a damper on my daughter's first concert experience...)



Dec 25...Scrapbook Circle Sketch Challenge

Saturday, December 22, 2012


I have loved being the Guest Designer for Scrapbook Circle this month.  
Despite all the busyness and craziness that occurs this time of year, I got so much accomplished! 
I made SIX layouts with the December Kit and still have enough for at least two more!  

Also, I have been so behind documenting some of our past Christmas
photos that I have put at least a starting dent in my pile.

Although this LO was not for my official GDT work, 
it was the for December Sketch Challenge and from their blog and 
I had already printed this photo for possible use.  
The sketch was perfect for a messy pile of papers stacked up as a photo mat too.  

Here is the link to their Challenge post:


The tint from the photo does look a little off and I tried to change it a bit, 
but the original photo had a very pink hue.
We have a white tree and Sam had a cold so his nose was red and swollen...


To: Sam - From: Santa...Scrapbook Circle Guest DT

Thursday, December 20, 2012



Not to be mean, but I think it is hilarious when Santa leaves practical
things in the kids' stockings, like toothbrushes, floss and band aids!
The kids, not so much.  

I just happened to be snap happy when Sam was digging into his stocking 
last year and captured this exact series of photos in order from his excitement
and anticipation, to confusion and then realization that this was not a 
matchbox car or candy, but band aids...really cool solar system band aids, but...


Anyway, I did this LO as the Scrapbook Circle Guest Designer for their
One Item Wonder challenge - to use their printables in a page.
All the Polaroid frames, the tag and all the banners at the top came from 
the December printable.  I had this idea to print it out onto something other
than plain white cardstock, so I went with a really pale neutral tan, then kraft, 
then back to white cardstock.  So that accounts for all the "MERRY"
banners being different hues.  I decided not to waste them!


The titles below the pictures could not have been more fitting!

I could be THE most productive procrastinator!!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012


So...instead of procrastinating by catching up on Homeland or Vampire Diaries, 
yes, I am a teenager at heart in the midst of my procrastination fit...
I decide to clean out closets, reorganize photo folders, 
make little music videos of my kids photo shoots...

You get the point...I need to feel like I have accomplished SOMETHING,
even if it is a million miles away from what I set out to do...for example,
I think this is my 3rd post today...?  
You think I wouldn't have a to-do list a mile long!  

But, I can't watch the news or get on the Internet because it is totally depressing to me right now.  
And I have read this in a book the other day...
"Coffee...do stupid things faster, with more energy!"...
that about sums up my days this week.  And it is only Tuesday!!



So, here goes...I have been messing around with some features on my computer
and started putting together little videos.  Amateurish...yes!
Make me want to squish my children until they beg me to stop...yes!

O Washi Tree, O Washi Tree...

Tuesday, December 18, 2012



I made this card really quickly with some washi and that gold 
foil dotted vellum...The vellum was actually from some of the scraps 
that I refuse to throw away, I told you!...
 {The gold doesn't show up that well with the camera. }
Punched a star from the new AC glitter tape...
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