Keeping Memories

Keeping memories is what it is all about.  Writing down the little things, photographing the big moments but also the small, everyday moments that will quickly be forgotten in the busy-ness that is life. 

I have been missing my scrapbooking but due to the increase in activities (and work) now that school has started, it has gone by the wayside.  ...but it was calling to me so I grabbed a couple photos from my very large stack of printed photos and pulled papers and embellies and piled them all up on my craft table determined that the next paper crafting project would be a layout.  It took me a few days to get around to working with all the goodies I pulled out but I did manage to carve out some time and pull together a layout.



This layout scanned a little wonky in that top left corner - the title really is straight on the actual layout I just didn't have the energy to fight with the scanner anymore!

 

I love these pictures of our youngest taken almost 2 years ago. It had been a busy day and it was close to his bedtime so his bath was done and he had his jammies on and he curled up on the couch with his Woobie bear and that thumb of his and completely crashed. He quit sucking his thumb over the course of this past summer and we couldn't be more proud of him...he found the motivation and a method (a band aid worn on the thumb in question for 2 weeks until he was sure he was done) and did it with very little reminding from his dad or I. We're proud for sure but a little sad too. You see it means he's growing up bit by bit and seeing as he's our last "baby" it's bittersweet seeing those tender little boy times fade into bigger boy things.

 

 



Another Celebration

Boy #1 is officially an adult!  Wow...that happened fast (or so it seems in retrospect).  Needless to say we had to celebrate the man he has become.  It was a quick celebration as he seems to be rather busy with college, work and his new puppy.  None the less, we celebrated.

 

 

I used the Echo Park Note to Self collection to put together his cards.  The tag was a Kerry Bradford design cut out on my Silhouette and a bit of twine from Martha Stewart. 

We are so proud of the man he has become and even through all the ups and downs of raising him...we couldn't be more pleased with the results.   He is truly a blessing to our entire family and those around him. 

Have Your Kleenex Ready

Here's a short video clip of the Daddy-Princess Ball from our church.  You can get a good look at the glittery crown die cuts I talked about.  More importantly, you can see how God is using us to change the lives of our children.  Have your tissues ready!

 

Daddy-Princess Ball

Oh Baby!

There is currently a baby boom happening around me (better around me than to me).  There have been several baby showers at my husband's office as well as friends and some of my own co-workers.  Needless to say, my sewing machine has been getting quite the workout making baby blankets for all the sweet babies to be.  Of course, there are cards to go along with all the cuddly baby gifts.

 

I used all papers from the Cosmo Cricket Material Girl 6x6 pad.  The brads are all from My Mind's Eye and the doilie sticker if from My Mind's Eye as well.  The banner shapes are all from the Silhouette store.

 Here's a boy version of the same card.  I lieu of the doilie sticker, I used my Silhouette to die cut a doilie shape from 2 different patterned papers. 

For this card, I combined papers from the Cosmo Cricket Material Girl 6x6 paper pad and the October Afternoon Seaside 8x8 paper pad.  The brads are from My Mind's Eye and the "baby" alphabet stickers are from Doodlebug.

 I tried to keep this one neutral since the couple hadn't yet found out if the baby on the way was a boy or a girl.  The blanket I made had ducks and a lime green and yellow so the card matched really well.

 

This last card really mixed up a lot of older supplies and utilized stitching to added more layers.

 

 

Babies are such a lovely way to start people!



Daddy-Princess Ball

Even though I don't have a princess of my own here at home, I am so blessed by the darling girls that attend our church.  Working in Children's Ministry has allowed me to mentor beautiful young girls even though I have a house full of testosterone!

 

That being said, it also provides me with an opportunity to craft all things girly when the need arises for special events like the upcoming Daddy-Princess Ball.  Needless to say crafting take home goodies for 250 attendees can take a lot of time and give my Silhouette Cameo quite the workout.

 

Here's what each attendee will take home.

 

and a close up...

I cut out all the pieces on my Cameo...the label is from a Kerry Bradford collection, the banner piece on the bottom is from the Silhouette store.  I die cut the tags, ran them through my laser printer to print the verse, inked the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Antique Linen, and then attached the black/grey piece up at the top.  The purple banner background piece was cut from a shimmery, lavendar textured cardstock and the top piece of the banner was cut from K & Company KP Halloween Harlequin paper.  I inked the edges of the top piece of the banner to give it more dimension then attached the whole thing to the bottom of the tag.  The finishing touches are the flower (which I added a bit of Stickles to to glam them up) and the ribbon at the top.  

 

Each of the girls will also receive a charm wrapped in a pretty white chiffon bag with purple crinkle paper inside.  On the outside will be one of these...

 

But they aren't black and white.  I found this beautiful American Crafts Pow glitter paper in a silver tone on tone wide stripe.  The web picture does not do it justice...it is simply gorgeous and cuts like a dream in the Cameo.  I already sent the finished product over to church prior to taking pictures but they are so sparkly and beautiful.  Hopefully I'll have a chance to photograph the finished product for you before the event.



What's been keeping me away...

Hello all my friends in bloggy land.  So sorry to have been away for so long but I've been immensely busy around here.  What have I been up to you ask?  Well, August is birthday month as well as the start of school for us.  That meant 3 birthdays (including my own), moving our oldest into his apartment so he could settle in before starting his freshman year of COLLEGE (really? how do we have a college student already?), and getting the oodles and oodles of school supplies needed for our younger two to start back at the elementary school.  Phew...

 

Here are a few bits and pieces from our birthday celebrations...

 

Cards I made for our boy #3's birthday...I used my Cameo and the Lime Twist collection from My Mind's Eye.

We went camping the weekend of boy #3's birthday so we took a "brownie cake" to help us celebrate!

 

Boy #2 and I share a birthday so we always celebrate together.

Cards for boy #2's celebration using the Simple Stories Awesome collection and a smidge of Echo Park's Times & Seasons collection

At least that means I always have help blowing out the candles!

 

My fun new beach cruiser bicycle.  I love it!

 

There's a little peek into all our celebrating!  I've also been very busy working on some special goodies for the Daddy-Princess Ball that is coming up at our church.  I'll share those very soon as well.