happy birthday heidi swap...

today is heidi's birthday...

and we are celebrating to today over at heidiswapp.com.

go watch this video here to see how it all began. jen did a sweet sweet job getting this party started.

and then visit us over at heidiswapp.com all day to see how the Media Team celebrates this amazingly talented lady today. i'll save a cupcake for you.

april memory planner

welcome friends...
welcome to the almost last day of the month...
and what a month it has been...

This Memory Planner has provided me with such a beautiful way to capture the many things that happened this past month. To get them in a place I know I will revisit again. To have them and hold them and to capture the blur that is my life right now.

This month I kept my One Little Word in focus again by creating a digital die cut and sewing it onto card stock watercolored with Color Shine. And I also continue to purposefully capture all 7 of us in a month so that I can add to my monthly pockets too. Soooooo important right now as this month revealed that my days are truly numbered as to how much longer I will be able to do that. On the awesome Hello Today 3x4 Card I added details of our Easter (journaling not here yet). Every year we always wonder what we did the previous year, and this was a perfect way to capture that.

I am also very inclined to capture each of my kids separately. Had fun playing with matte gel and the new die cuts too. Spectacular just seemed to be the perfect word.

This month I used my numbered list for people. People who spoke into that day. Or I into theirs. The school director helping with my daughters academic challenges. The surprise dear friend who visited. The friend who bought me dinner. My mom in light of her cancer surgery. The photo was taken half way through the month, but it was added to daily.

I created this little mini composition book as I have been reading a most amazing book called The Happiest Life by Hugh Hewitt. It will be given to many seniors this May. And I have been writing down so many notes from it so I created a glassine pocket and this slips in there and is very available for me to refer back to. One of my favorite things on April's pages.

I am always inspired by Jen and Kim and the flaps they add to their books, so I added one to my book this month for a bit of hidden journaling. It all just causes me to be happy that I have this home to record these thoughts, memories and photos.

And what a great Mom's day gift this would make. For that lady in your life that plays Mom...you just might want to consider such a gift as this for her. It's never too late to start. And you could make it all pretty. But above all, I am hoping you are taking time everyday in your life to record your #onelittlething...or two...or three...

till next time...

you are my funny sunshine...

I am over at Pink Paislee with a "What's App?" post. I am sharing one of the mobile photo editing apps used quite often on my photos from my phone or device.  And while I enjoyed sharing that little techy insight, I am sort of crushing on this page right now.

This is my oldest daughter and I playing it up in selfie style. We were simply goofing around one day with my phone. But as I look back at these pics, they are totally us right now. Fun. Goofy. Enjoying of one another. That girl is truly sunshine and happy days. Hello Sunshine from Pink Paislee's winter/spring collection is a perfect blend of pattern and color + words to celebrate this girl and where she is right now in her young life.

This really was a lot of fun to put together. Gave me pause to add a lot of words that reflect my girl. The Chipboard Alphas...yeah...they really are as yummy as they look. They are staggered down the middle with hot glue to keep them sort of wonky but in place. With my kids getting older, as I create these pages with them in mind, words are as important to me as ever. To relay to them their personality right now as they are becoming young adults. To share with them my view of things as I am fairly sure they will read these pages and might actually pay attention to what is here, rather than always hear what I am saying straight to them. Ah...the power of words+photos+pretty paper.

See? More words. Easily stamped on a scrap of pattern paper from Pen Pals. I thought the color was a fun pop against the hues of Hello Sunshine. And a great home for more words to describe my girl.

And lots and lots of layers. What is a page from me without a layer or two??? Well, it would not be one of my pages.

Just wanted to share with you a little bit of the back story to this page today as the post over at Pink is about the app, and not the layout. But just between you and me, I'm all about the layout!!!

Have a fabulous day!!!

new sizzix eshape store ~ now open

There has been a little project in the works for a few months now that I have had the lucky chance to be part of. Sizzix has now made available digital cut designs for use with their die cutting machine the Eclips.

The eShape store is now online!!! Sizzix has made available designs that are 100% compatible with the exclusive eCAL software for both the original eclipse and eclips2 machines. Or...use the SureCuts A Lot (SCAL) software for use with other electronic shape cutting machines. You can go here for lots more information on the details. I'm not a details girl...I just love making the stuff.

I have a few designs available in the shop already. And a few more on the sketch board getting ready to launch soon. I will keep you posted.

Some of my own personal favorite cuts are from the collection Love and Hearts. The cuts you see on the above cards are from that project. What is so great about the sizzixshapestore.com is the option to buy individual cuts. Or a whole collection at a much better price. I love creating these in collections as their intent is to go together on a project and work thematically.

That said, on this card I am sharing three collections mixed together. The Arrows Collection, more of the Love and Hearts, and a Stencil Collection that will be found in the shop soon.

It's been quite a little adventure for me. A huge learning curve. And I have so much more still to learn. But I am excited, and hope you will pop in the shop and see what it is all about.

till next time...

staycation mini ~ chic tags

Hello there...
hoping you had a most beautiful Easter Sunday celebrating our risen Savior in a beautiful way.

Today I am posting over at Chic Tags...

I am sharing the cover to my staycation mini album I am creating for our Spring Break from March.
Hoping you will join me over there while I share some details and a technique.

on my list ~ chic tags

One of my blogging friends, Monica from the  I Love It All blog, is always making lists. She sells these amazing journals and she is always sharing these amazing lists and I am always inspired by her.

And so I put to work some of her lists inspiration this past month and here's what I did.

For this little Cinched book I used the Chic Tags exclusive March Kit. The March 4 x 6 journal card was a perfect mini album cover. A butterfly was cut from the School House Lessons 12x12 pattern paper and then layered with a piece of vellum. I wanted a real soft, real simple book. After all it was a journal of lists and needed plenty of room to write.

Color Shine Teal is a great match for the blues used for this kit, and so I added that to the front as well the 'true fact' die cut piece.

Created a title page with more of the journal cards. The 'story of my life' piece was trimmed out from a 4 x 6 card, and then layered back over that card with vellum in between. '46'...ah...what's in a number anyway...but I do love those Veneer Numbers still available at Chic Tags. They have a polka dot emboss on them, are veneer, and I have managed to use them on many projects.

Turning the page there are more of my own die cuts, Love and Hearts, plus stamp image from the March kit. And then a prompt. I added 3x4 journal cards here and there, plus used 4 x 6 cards for answering the prompts.

Some of the lists are obvious to me. Meaning, I don't need a list to remember. But the reality that some things are my 'right now' will be unique. I know me, and I will love looking back on this book in years to come when I am in yet a different chapter of my life.

This IS real life, and real life seems to be relentless. I forget the seemingly little things. And there is just too much going on currently for me to want to forget.

So how about you? Need a weekend project? this would be a great project. A great way to use up some of your favorite papers. scraps you need to clean up. or break open that new kit. Whatever it is, I hope you find inspiration in creating your book of list and keep track of your here and now.

here's a free list to get you started.

and here is product info to my digital cut file used:

sizzixshapestore.com

till next time...

chic tags ~ sunday sketch

Yesterday was Sunday Sketch over at Chic Tags and I was lucky enough to participate...

Sasha shared this fabulous sketch with us and many of us played along using all things Chic Tags. Here is what I came up with...

I took my layout to 12x12. This will be part of a double page layout with several other photos from my birthday week last month.

I only went with 9 circles creating this mat on my Sizzix Eclips and cutting it out on American Craft Heavy Card Stock. When I trimmed it down I left a little extra on the right as a margin for the photo.

Do you ever start a page, have an idea to start, but not sure where it is going to go? Well, that was this one. Obviously I had Sasha's sketch as the inspire point...but after that, I sort of struggled for a bit.

I knew I wanted to use the Happy Place Crisp Air pattern paper, but I also knew it was on the bright side for me, and I am always so afraid of yellow...so I decided to layer it under the circle mask I created.

So then I painted the card stock with a wash of Color Shine Teal and gesso. Sort of a go-to technique for me right now. And I really love how the words from the paper peek through the circles in the mat, also allowing the yellow to say hello without taking over the whole layout.

The circles made perfect little homes for simple embellishments that helped support the rest of this story. School House circle Icons fit perfectly inside layered with some Happy Place Phrases that I trimmed and edge painted. The "Highlights From This Week" is from the March Exclusive Kit (which sadly is sold out). Again, it was a little bright, but just a bit of gesso toned it down and gave it that soft spring hue I was hoping for.

The Having a Blast flair is from the March kit. Love This Life belongs to Happy Place Phrases. I folded the edges back to give it a banner look and layered it over my photo. Sigh...I just love that photo of me and that little SuperMan. To continue to add to the soft feel of this page, I clustered yellow flowers and sequins in one of the circles. These were found in my stash and I love what they add to the over all feel of this project.

Well for not knowing where this layout was going, I am pretty happy with it. Eager to tell the rest of the story with my other photos. Happy to have pushed through a project and just play and have fun. Happy for all these memories I am blessed to document and share with you today.

Till next time...

easter card ~ heidi swapp homemade holiday

Today I share a technique new to me at heidiswapp.com. A card for Easter. Hope you hop in. (get it...'hop in'!?!?)

goin' glam with pink paislee

Today I share mixing glam with Pink Paislee and Easter memories over at the Pink Paislee blog.

scrapping for friends

For a Christmas present to a friend this year, I subscribed her to the JMPGirl Monthly Scrapbook Page. (yep...I just made that up). She is a long time family friend who loves our family deeply and and loves any and all photos I send her way. So I thought it would be fun to purchase a stand that holds 8x8 layouts, and send her one a month. For the most part I am creating layouts with photos from last years family photo shoot, but since March was my birthday month, I want to send her one of moi!

I simply had fun with this layout and the use of a monochromatic feel. No rules here really at all, save for mint! Yep. Mint has a hold of me right now. SO lots of mint pattern from Hello Today as well as a background from Mixed Company.

Mint played out on Color Magic Paper Goods which is a perfect match.

You may even find some Serendipity in there as well. And of course book paper die cut into leaves breaks up the color in a very subtle way.

More clusters of butterflies and arrows and notched banner pieces. So the challenge here today is: send a friend or family member a layout page created by you. Have fun with it. Let yourself go and layer it up with die cut and paper punched pieces. A fun little creative piece for someone else to enjoy.

hello today die cut flip album

Today I am over at HeidiSwapp.com sharing this album that shows off the new Hello Today Lace Paper. Love that paper!!! Hope you will join us.

hello april...

are you caught in the blur right now?
This time of year that leads up to May...which to me is the time of year that can feel just as hairy as the Christmas season...can be a blur to me. It's the end of the academic year and wrapping up so many schedules and activities. And I am predicting this year will be a bit more intense than previously...which is a reason I continue to be so thankful for this Memory Planner.

Today I just want to review March. Remember when I shared this here...

on this post? Well here it is now...filled...

I love this. I love having this home to place random as well as specific thoughts.

I love a place that I am looking at daily that I can place my lists. Scripture that is speaking to me. A book list. And always, one little thankful thing everyday.

I love that Heidi shares these printables. Thematic for the month. I love a place to add a thematic photo that celebrates events of the month.

I love places to add even more words, thoughts, gratitudes...

I made a foldable card with the 'choose happy' on the cover. Inside provided extra room to place a very special card I received this past month, as well as a place to write down a longer list of gifts and gratitudes that were part of this month. Perfect for this 6x4 pocket.

I love having our family photo every month in this journal. I love the story that it is telling this year. I love a place to add a photo of one of my favorite creatives while we were on FaceTime last month. Sweet memories.

I love these notes. Some events. Something special or memorable about a day. A place to write something. It's a planner. It's a memory keeper. It's a reminder that life is actually happening in the midst of the blur I am finding myself living.

I love this lovely place to hold pretty as well as sometimes not so pretty stuff. It's all life. And I love that it's all right here.