August SFYTT Reminder

Just a reminder that today is the final day to play along with the August Sketch For You To Try! And don't forget about our fabulous sponsor this month, Verve Stamps!! Here's a final look at this month's sketch:

And a look back at my August SFYTT creations with links to my original blog posts for product details. First up is this fun Let's Party birthday card:
 

And then this general, feel-good Hold On card:

All details and upload information can be found on THIS POST on Jen's blog. I hope you find time to play along this month!

Project Life Week 33

Well, even though I didn't get any feedback from my Project Life update earlier this week, I decided to go ahead and share another week anyway! So here I am with Week 33. I really liked how this week came together - I used lots of fun new products (both traditional and digi) and had some pretty fun photos to work with. Here's a look at the whole week:

 The right half of the layout features photos from a trip to the dentist - along with some journaling about that. I used one of my go-to embellishments on that journaling card - a piece of Wood Veneer People from Studio Calico, picked up at Two Peas. I also documented a movie Date Night with Joel (we went to see The Campaign, which was pretty funny, but not as good as we expected - sadly a little too close to reality I think). I've made it a goal this entire year to try to get myself into more photo, something I'm extremely uncomfortable with because I hate the way I look in photos. But I know (hope) that some day Dean will cherish these photos and won't care how photogenic I was. There are also photos of Dean with two of his lady friends.

 The right half of the page mostly documents a Saturday of adventure for Joel and me. Dean stayed with my Mom and Joel and I decided to play tourist for the day, driving all the way around the West Maui Mountains - something we haven't done in YEARS. I journaled about our adventure and added several of my favorite photos (including one of myself! YAY!).

 And how about some close-ups of a few of my favorites for this week...I asked Dean to fill out this journal card. I like documenting his handwriting in this album and this also captures his (strange in my opinion) obsession with Katy Perry (we have no idea where he got this. We pretty much only listen to NPR or Classic Rock).

 And this proud moment capturing Dean's first ever test - a spelling test that he aced!

 I love the way this 4x6 card a couple of instagrams from our Saturday adventure turned out. (and look! There I am again!! 3 photos of me in one week is a total record!).

 And this fun instagram journal card of Dean reading some Shel Silverstein - a common sight at our house!

I really do love this project so much. I'm filled with excitement each time I add another completed week to the album!

Products Used:

Project Life Signature Black Binder Project Life Design A Pocket Page (Big Pack) Corner Chomper - We R Memory Keepers Tiny Attacher Labelled Journalers No. 02 - Katie Pertiet Pop Quiz Journalers (Digi) by Gennifer Bursett Photo Journalers V1 (Digi) by Gennifer Bursett White Dots on Black Washi Tape Take Note Wood Veneer People by Studio Calico Summer Journaling Card (Digi) by Geralyn Sy Check It Journaling Cards (Digi) by Gennifer Bursett Travel Journaling Cards (Digi) by Geralyn Sy Typography Alpha Stickers by Prima Basicgrey Printed Chipboard Alpha

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Project Life Update

It's been awhile since I shared any of my Project Life pages and I thought I'd try to get back in the habit of posting those here if there's an interest. I still LOVE this project and I'm so so proud of myself for staying caught up ALL. YEAR. LONG! Stamping and card-making have admittedly been put on the back burner a bit this year as much of my crafty time has been spent on Project Life. But that's OK, because my albums are amazing. I love seeing Dean sit and look through the albums and laugh and I love sitting and looking back on those everyday moments and remembering the little things that I likely would have already forgotten if it wasn't for this project. So anyway, moving along...today I'm just going to start where I am and share Week 32 with you. I actually have through Week 33 completed, so I'll try to come back in a few days and share Week 33 as well. And then if I stay motivated, I'll try to do a post or 2 each week - sharing the previous week's layout as well as one of my old layouts until I'm all caught up with sharing. I know I find SO MUCH inspiration from other Project Lifers out there, so hopefully some of you might find some inspiration from my shares.

Week 32: August 5 - August 11, 2012 - a look at both pages together (sorry for the poor quality photo):


So, this was the second week of First Grade for Dean and we were in full-blown Olympics Obsession around here! Looking closer at the left side of the layout, you can see that Dean's been doing a lot of comic-book reading, specifically Calvin and Hobbes. I love to hear him cracking up while reading these books! We also bought The Lorax DVD this week and had a Movie Night at Tutu's. I flew through this month's Book Club pick, The Chaperone.

 

And from the right side of the page, you can see that Dean did some learning with his Break Your Own Geodes kit that he got for Christmas last year (he's sort of been hoarding those geodes and only breaking a few at a time!). He also put on quite the Olympics-inspired Rhythmic Gymnastics performance! Saturday Joel and I voted in the Primary Election, which provided a fun Current Event documentation moment for Project Life!

  

And finally, my favorite part of this week's layout - don't kids say the funniest things? This is a perfect example of one of those everyday moments that probably wouldn't normally get documented, but I'm SO glad I'll have evidence of 20+ years from now!! Two hilarious Dean conversations overheard and documented...

   

So that about sums up Week 33. Below are links to several of the products I used this week. If I forget to link something that you're interested in, just ask! And please let me know what you think. Do you want me to keep sharing my Project Life pages? Do you want to see past weeks or just my current pages? 

Products Used:

 
 

Other Products:

Lil' Snippet: Tiny Life Labels by Elle's Studio Summer Lovin' 1 Inch Tidbits by Elle's Studio Daydream Black Foam Thickers by Amerian Crafts 365 Photo Overlays by Ali Edwards The Bliss Project Journal Cards 2 by Gina Miller Life Cards digi by Jacque Larsen

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August SFYTT Post #2

 

It's the 3rd Saturday of August and that means it's time for some more Sketch For You To Try Inspiration from a few of the SFYTT Sisters! Have you had a chance to play along with this month's sketch yet? You've got until August 31st at midnight, so there's still plenty of time to create something and it's a SUPER fun sketch this month! And don't forget we have another amazing sponsor this month  - Verve Stamps!!

 

In case you didn't know, there are some pretty exciting things going on this month at Verve!! It's the 5-year Anni-VERVE-sary and to celebrate there's a really awesome sale with 10-50% off all stamps and dies in the store. In addition, there's a HUGE New Release coming up next week and Sneak Peeks started a few days ago and will continue the next several days on several Diva Blogs. Finally, there are a few challenges going on with lots of prizes up for grabs! The details about all of these fabulous things can be found over on the Verve Blog, so be sure to stop by there!

OK, now moving on to my SFYTT card...I'm actually giving you guys a Sneak Peek at one of the new Verve sets that will be releasing next week. But first, here's a look at this month's sketch:

And my take on it, which I'm now realizing is very similar to my original SFYTT card I made this month:

That gorgeous flower and sentiment are from the new Lean on Me set, which features 10 awesome stamps - 4 flowers and 6 sentiments. (psst...there's also a coordinating die set, but I didn't get mine ordered in time to play with it on this card, so I had to do things the old fashioned way with a hobby knife - but you can bet next time I'll be using the dies!). Much like my first August SFYTT card, I also used the Tagged Rectangle Die as well as one of the coordinating stamps from Tag Time on this card. All of the patterned paper is from the Woodland Park collection by October Afternoon.

Be sure to stop by these other SFYTT Sisters' blogs to see what they're sharing today with this month's sketch!

Jen del Muro
Carole Burrage - taking a break
Jodi Collins
Susan Liles
Tracy Schultz

OK, that's it from me. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Verve Diva Inspirations August 2012 Blog Hop

It's August 5th and that means it's time for another Verve Divas Inspirations Blog Hop! On the 5th of each month, the Verve Divas Inspirations Team will be sharing creations using some of our favorite Verve sets from both past and present, and as always, there are PRIZES!! It's an extra special month here at Verve - Anni-Verve-Sary!! In celebration, the Inspiration Team has some special guests playing along with us this month. Several of the Release Team Divas as well as a few other guests are joining us on this hop. You won't want to miss it!!

You can start the hop at the beginning on the Verve Blog and continue on through each fabulous blog - be sure to leave a little comment love along the way and you just might win some Verve goodies of your own! If you arrived here from the talented Jen d's blog, then you're on the right track! Just in case, here's a look at the Master Hop List:

 

	1. Betty	9. Andrea
	2. Jen d.	10. Janelle
	3. Jen T.	11. Laurie
	4. Julee	12. Maureen
	5. Sankari	13. Teresa
	6. Sony	14. Charmaine
	7. Susan	15. Christyne
	8. Amber	16. Laurie

Most of my regular followers know that I periodically create special cards to give to my son, Dean. I started doing this when he was a baby, filling the inside of each card with a handwritten note / letter - just some of my thoughts about being his Mom at this particular time in his life. Sometimes they're full of encouragement and pride and lots of love, sometimes they're full of frustration at whatever latest parenting struggle we're dealing with. I don't always give him these cards, but I do tuck each of them into a special keepsake box - hopefully someday they'll be really special to him. He gets a card for all major special events and holidays and then a few random "just because" cards each year too. The card I made for today's hop is a special card for Dean as he started First Grade this past Monday. I really can't believe I'm the mother of a First Grader!! Anyway, this important milestone called for a Dean card...

 First I have to say that the design of this card was loosely based on a very old Sweet Sunday Sketch, one of my favorites actually. All of the patterned paper is printed digi paper from the Hit the Books kit by Robyn Meierotto (Design House Digital). I stamped one of my favorite and most-used stamps, the classy label stamp from Love Notes and then cut it out with the Classy Label Die. The "Dream Big" sentiment is from the Words of Wisdom set and those stars? They're from one of the very first Verve sets I ever purchased, way back before I became a Diva - Seeing Stars! Still love that classic set!! Once again, I tried adding some splattered Mister Huey's ink, which I do think I'm getting a little better at. I think the messiness of this is sometimes appropriate for boy cards, if I could just master the technique so it didn't look quite so much like a big mistake! I think I'm getting there.

And now for my proud Mommy Moment. My First Grader:

And that's it from me today. Julee is next up on the hop, so head on over to see what kind of fabulousness she's created and then keep on hopping along!

With a new month comes a new sale, and this month we're celebrating FIVE wonderful years of Verve! So in proper celebratory style, we've made some fantastic discounts on some wonderful product! Through August 31, save 10 - 50% off select stamps and dies. Everything is on sale while supplies last, so go ahead and treat yourself to one or two, or even FIVE stampy pleasures! {grin}

 

August 2012 SFYTT

 

Well, it's that time again already - first Saturday of the month and time for another fabulous Sketch For You to Try!! I hope you all had a chance to play along with us last month - Lots of exciting things in store for participants of the monthly SFYTT this year, including a chance to win another fabulous huge prize package at the end of the year!! All of the details can be found on today's post over on Jen's blog, with some of the details outlined in the "In a Nutshell" graphic at the end of this post. We have another amazing sponsor this month that's very near and dear to my heart - Verve Stamps!!

First, here's a look at this month's fun sketch:

August is full of important friend birthdays for me so in trying to build up my birthday card stash I created this fun card:

All of the patterned papers are from the Cakewalk line by October Afternoon, which I'm totally loving! In place of the main rectangular panel, I used a Tagged Rectangle Die, tilting it slightly (I know, don't fall out of your chair - I hate tilted panels, but it looked weird all straight like I normally like things). Those fun balloons are from the Birthday Bash set.  I added a small and simple "Let's Party" sentiment from the Birthday Phrases set and then fancied things up with several scrappy embellishments from my stash - pom pom trim, wood veneer stars, hemp twine, etc.

Be sure to stop by the rest of the SFYTT Sisters' blogs to see what they've done with this month's sketch! And a very warm welcome to our Designer of the Month, Peggy McCurry! Don't forget to stop by her blog to see what she's created as well.

Jen del Muro
Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer
Becky Carafa
Carole Burrage - taking a break
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles
Tracy Schultz